‘No specific statistics’ detailing number of children born into direct provision asylum seeker system

The State does not know how many children have been born into the 15-year-old system of direct provision — the long-criticised regime of institutional living for asylum seekers.

The latest available figures from the Reception and Integration Agency, a unit of the department of Justice, shows there are at least 1,225 children living in Direct Provision Centres around Ireland. The figures include 60 female and 61 male “unregistered” children.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said unregistered children are: