Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I note that the International Protection Office and Tusla are working on the design of a new model to improve the process of managing age assessments. There was a question mark over the fact that some who were claiming to be minors were not minors, but a new process is being put in place for that, and that is to be welcomed. That is supposed to be in place in the coming weeks. It is more than two years since the start of the war in Ukraine. It is two years and three months now and it is a bit concerning that it has taken this long. Nevertheless, it is welcome that it is happening. I note from the letter that some of the Ukrainian minors arriving by air are coming from airports outside of Ukraine. If that is the case, that is the case. I ask we write back to the Department and ask it to take it up with the countries they are coming from. If they are coming from another European country, be Germany, Poland or wherever - I am not sure which countries they are referring to – the Department of Justice needs to take it up with its counterparts in whichever country they are flying out from if they are boarding planes as minors.