Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Will the Minister outline the specific steps she has taken on this issue? If we are to assist children and focus on older teenagers, as the Minister appeared to suggest, speed will be needed because 16 and 17 year olds will soon become adults. According to the census, 11% or 12% of the population are immigrants who are not originally from Ireland. Many of the nationalities represented in the Calais camp have significant communities in this country. There are, therefore, many possibilities in this regard.

We know from the work done by various UN organisations that it is possible to do this quite well and to provide children who come here with a basis for education. Many of our schools have done brilliantly on this, absorbing and integrating the children quickly and getting them to leaving certificate level.

What is the reason for the slowness in this case? While State resources are not unlimited, we have many. This involves 200 children in particularly difficult circumstances over a period of time. What commitment will the Minister give that this will be addressed within, say, the next three months?

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