James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy McEntee, who unfortunately cannot be here.

The incident in the Moria camp on Lesbos was a tragic incident that could have had fatal consequences, but luckily did not. Thankfully, no one in the camp was injured or killed as a result of the fire but I suspect that was just sheer luck. Ireland strongly supports the principle of solidarity and recognises that assistance is required for member states that face a disproportionate number of applicants and where incidents such as this can cause additional hardship. Officials in the Department of Justice and Equality are currently considering how and if we can accommodate a small number of families, in addition to the commitment already made to accept four unaccompanied minors from the camp, which was announced by the Minister with responsibility for equality and integration, Deputy O'Gorman, on 17 September. Consideration is being given at EU level to the legal mechanisms by which this can be done.

In a previous gesture of solidarity, Ireland committed to accepting up to 36 unaccompanied minors from Greece. Eight of these young people arrived in Ireland in June and are now in the care of Tusla. More broadly, to date, more than 3,350 people have arrived in the State under the first phase of the Irish refugee protection programme, IRPP. Last December, a second phase was announced, giving a commitment to welcome a further 2,900 refugees between this year and 2023 through a combination of resettlement and community sponsorship. The refugee arrivals this year and next will largely comprise Syrian nationals resident in Jordan and Lebanon, together with a pilot group of 150 Eritrean refugees currently resident in Ethiopia.

The impact of Covid-19 has unfortunately impacted on the timeframe for these arrivals but the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Department are committed to realising the State's commitments in line with our obligations under the IRPP. Officials are engaging with international partners to share a collective experience of how best to resume arrivals and the lessons learned to date. Preparations are under way for the arrival of the next cohort of refugees but a precise timeframe cannot yet be attached to this endeavour.

A new pact on migration and asylum has been published today by the European Commission. It aims to provide a comprehensive approach to migration management that is sustainable, humane and effective and which can work well on a day-to-day basis and withstand current pressures, as well as the challenges of the future. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, welcomes the publication of the new pact, which will strengthen the EU's capacity to respond to the challenges that migration poses and minimise the impact that it has on the lives of those who migrate and the communities into which they move.

See this speech in context