A petition signed by over 14,000 people and presented to the Department of Justice last year called for the €300 fee — which most non-EU nationals living in the State have to pay at least once per year — to be brought down to a level comparable to a passport (€75) or a driver’s licence (€55).

There was hope that Budget 2025 would bring a reduction to the fee, which was doubled in 2012 as an austerity measure when Ireland had an €18 billion budget deficit.

Mina Benyamine, spokesperson for the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) Fair Fees campaign, said: “We are shocked to see absolutely no reduction in this extortionate and unfair fee.

“The minister for justice committed to a review last year and we cannot see how the government can justify keeping the fee the same when we understand they have a budget surplus of well over €20 billion.”

Kareshma Sookharry, a catering assistant originally from Mauritius, said: “It is always hard for me as a single mother to find any extra money for the IRP card. There were times when we have to go without basics just to have money to pay the IRP fee.

“I was so hopeful for a reduction and now I am feeling so upset to hear it will stay the same.”

Neil Bruton, co-director of MRCI, said: “The issuing of an IRP card is a simple and inexpensive procedure just like renewing a passport. This fee could easily have been reduced to a fairer and more reasonable level by the minister for justice.

“Reducing these fees was the right thing to do and we are astonished the government has decided to ignore the calls of migrant workers, student and families.

“This was an opportunity to show, in a meaningful way, that Ireland values those who make their home here and contribute so much to our society. Instead, migrants have been left out and will remain forced to pay this unfair fee.”