Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

In September 2015 the Tánaiste promised, on behalf of the country, that we would accept some 4,000 refugees from Syria as part of a co-ordinated response from Europe to the refugee crisis, which in scale is beyond anything we have seen in my lifetime. In that country of approximately 23 million, 500,000 have died, with 2 million people disabled because of lost limbs or other disabilities. There are 6 million people displaced internally and there are now over 5 million displaced refugees outside their own country. It has not gone away as an issue, despite going off the news cycle. Almost 250,000 people in the first three months of the year were added to that list. Turkey has taken some 3 million refugees.

Lebanon has taken approximately 1 million, Jordan has taken approximately 700,000, the rest of Europe is taking 900,000 and we have committed to taking 4,000. We set a timeline of two years from the introduction of the programme. How many refugees from Syria have we accepted to date? How many does the Tánaiste expect us to have received by the deadline we have set?

The people of Ballaghaderreen and those at other emergency reception centres have shown real strength and done us proud with the welcome they have given the refugees. However, from what I hear from the people involved, the State, unfortunately, is not doing enough. We are not getting the welcome right. We are not engaging local communities. Additional resources and additional community officers must be provided to help with the integration of these people. We could learn from the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland, which has a far better record in terms of involving non-governmental organisations, NGOs, and other outside bodies to be part of the welcome. What changes in resources will the Tánaiste make in her Department? I hear that there is a lack of resources in respect of translation facilities and administrative and other staff and that this is part of the reason we are behind our target for welcoming people.

Finally, we hear that since the introduction of the new international refugee process which was put in place early last January Ireland is still operating one of the least humane systems for asylum seekers. Next to Lithuania Ireland is the least progressive in terms of allowing other refugees in asylum centres to work. I received a telephone call in my house during the week through some contacts in the Syrian refugee movement from a young man who told me, "I am going to the city of Ballaghaderreen". God bless us, that is great. It could be great for the town of Ballaghaderreen, but we must get the refugees working. We must not have that young man losing his spirit, confidence or mental health further by leaving him to languish there. We must get such people working. What will the Tánaiste do to allow that to become part of the welcome for the 4,000 people we have committed to take?

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