The level of welfare payments received by thousands of asylum-seekers in the "direct-provision" system is being reviewed by the Department of Social and Family Affairs.
The departmental review will consider an internal report which, it is understood, recommends an increase in the weekly sum paid to adult asylum-seekers, currently at €19.10.
Such reduced welfare payments are made to asylum-seekers living in accommodation centres such as the former holiday camp in Mosney, Co Meath, who have meals, laundry and other basic services provided on site.
Because such basic living costs are directly met, cash welfare payments are reduced. The adult weekly rate of €19.10 was set in April 2000 when the mandatory dispersal of asylum-seekers to direct-provision accommodation was introduced.
While basic social welfare payments have seen significant budget increases since then, the basic weekly payment to asylum-seekers in direct provision has not been increased.
Groups including the Irish Refugee Council and the Society of St Vincent de Paul had sought an increase in the adult weekly payment to between €38 and €45, and the children's weekly rate from €9.55 to around €18 in this month's Budget.
It is understood that the review, which has been given to the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms Coughlan, has recommended an increase in the weekly adult payments, although the members of the interdepartmental working group were divided on the issue.
Mr James Stapleton, from the Irish Refugee Council, said an increase in the payment to less than €30 would be "tantamount to not increasing it at all. We want the Minister to recognise that in the last three years this payment hasn't gone up, but the cost of living has."
In addition to the weekly payment, asylum-seekers in direct provision are entitled to child benefit, free medical, optical and dental treatment and payments for goods like prams or clothes.
New arrivals automatically go into direct provision outside Dublin unless they have medical or other grounds for exemption, although about half of those assigned accommodation do not take it up permanently.
The Department of Social and Family Affairs expects it will pay €111 million to non-nationals this year.