David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Deputy and there is a focus on integration and inclusion of refugees. I visited Donegal last week and met some Syrian families there. Children are going to school, and parents are learning English and working and so on. A lot is happening.

We also mobilised EU funding under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund to provide supports, through local authorities, to refugees. Local authorities play a critical role in ensuring the successful integration of refugees through the provision of housing and implementation of a process carried out by the implementing partner, with expertise in community integration and relevant supports. This programme of implementation of integration requires a high level of co-ordination among service delivery agencies at both national and local level. Service provision is mainstreamed and all the main statutory service providers such as Departments, the HSE, Tusla and local authorities are represented on the national task force that oversees delivery of the programme. The programme is co-ordinated overall by the IRPP but service provision remains the responsibility of the relevant statutory entity.

The Deputy is correct that it is important we get integration right and I thank him for his support on this. We are working hard on that, with the various bodies, and there is support given for up to 18 months to the refugees to help them integrate and it is working well.

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