Ireland’s High Court ruled on 19 February that the State must pay €9,500 and €6,000 respectively to two international-protection applicants—one Afghan, one Indian—who slept rough in Dublin for more than two months in early 2023 after the reception system ran out of beds. Judge Cian Ferriter held that the Government breached its EU obligations to provide "material reception conditions" under the 2013 Reception Directive.
The decision follows last August’s Court of Justice of the EU judgment confirming that capacity pressures do not exempt Member States from minimum-standard duties. About 50 further damages actions, all relating to the January–June 2023 accommodation crisis, are now expected to reference Thursday’s precedent.
In this shifting environment, VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) can assist travellers, employers, and legal representatives by expediting Irish visa applications, providing up-to-date guidance on documentation requirements, and monitoring policy changes—helping stakeholders stay compliant while avoiding unexpected delays.
![High Court awards damages to asylum seekers left homeless, setting precedent for 50 similar claims]()
For the Department of Justice, already spending €1.2 billion a year on accommodation, the payouts—although modest—signal potential budgetary exposure and renewed political scrutiny of contingency planning as arrivals remain high.
Mobility implications: Corporate sponsors occasionally hire protection applicants under the Employment Permits scheme; Thursday’s ruling increases the likelihood that future applicants will receive statutory supports promptly, thereby reducing CSR and reputational risks for employers who step in with emergency aid. Companies providing staff to State-run reception centres should also prepare for tightened Service-Level Agreements and inspection regimes.
Legal advisers expect the State to decide within weeks whether to appeal; if not, settlement talks in the remaining 50 cases could conclude by mid-2026.
The decision follows last August’s Court of Justice of the EU judgment confirming that capacity pressures do not exempt Member States from minimum-standard duties. About 50 further damages actions, all relating to the January–June 2023 accommodation crisis, are now expected to reference Thursday’s precedent.
In this shifting environment, VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) can assist travellers, employers, and legal representatives by expediting Irish visa applications, providing up-to-date guidance on documentation requirements, and monitoring policy changes—helping stakeholders stay compliant while avoiding unexpected delays.
For the Department of Justice, already spending €1.2 billion a year on accommodation, the payouts—although modest—signal potential budgetary exposure and renewed political scrutiny of contingency planning as arrivals remain high.
Mobility implications: Corporate sponsors occasionally hire protection applicants under the Employment Permits scheme; Thursday’s ruling increases the likelihood that future applicants will receive statutory supports promptly, thereby reducing CSR and reputational risks for employers who step in with emergency aid. Companies providing staff to State-run reception centres should also prepare for tightened Service-Level Agreements and inspection regimes.
Legal advisers expect the State to decide within weeks whether to appeal; if not, settlement talks in the remaining 50 cases could conclude by mid-2026.
