DUBLIN, Ireland: Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said it "makes sense" to offer financial support to international protection applicants who voluntarily return home if they believe their asylum claims are unlikely to succeed.

Speaking after reports that asylum seekers will be offered 2,500 euros per person or up to 10,000 euros per family to withdraw their applications and leave the State, Martin dismissed criticism that the measure amounted to a "right-wing dog whistle" as "excessive, extreme language."

The scheme follows an order signed by Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan, which increases the existing voluntary return payments. It will apply to applicants awaiting decisions on their claims before September 28. The government says the aim is to encourage people with weak asylum cases to leave voluntarily, reducing the costs of lengthy claim reviews and accommodation.

Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said his party would oppose the measure, branding it "a right-wing dog whistle dressed up as efficiency." Martin rejected this, insisting the policy was pragmatic and beneficial both to individuals and the State.

"If people are seeking asylum and know they are unlikely to receive it – perhaps as economic migrants – giving them a helping hand to reintegrate at home makes sense," Martin said. "It benefits them, and it reduces the costs of leaving people in unsatisfactory accommodation for years."

Ireland already operates a voluntary return scheme that provides 1,200 euros per person or 2,000 euros per family. According to official figures, 1,159 people left the state under the scheme by September 19 this year, a 129 percent increase in the same period in 2024.

Under the revised payments, asylum seekers will now receive 2,500 euros each, capped at 10,000 euros per family. Those who are already in the appeals process after an initial refusal will be eligible for 1,500 euros per person or 6,000 euros per family if they agree to return before their appeals are concluded.

Martin stressed that the new measures were "one of a number of effective options" designed to manage the asylum system more efficiently. "A voluntary return system provides people with a choice and with support to restart their lives in their home countries," he said.