Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank all Members for their engagement on, and their contributions, to this issue. I wish to take a few moments to restate the benefits of opting into these amendments to the AMIF programme. The fund will help to support a broad range of programmes in the area of asylum, migration and integration in Ireland and the State's response to the Ukraine crisis. It is my intention to build on the success of the 2014-20 AMIF programme and, if I receive approval today, to opt into these amendments. Some of the projects to which I referred earlier demonstrate the scope, scale and benefits of AMIF funding to improve the lives of vulnerable asylum seekers, migrants and third country nationals in Ireland. Subject to the approval of the opt-in, my Department will liaise with NGOs to support these vulnerable individuals and to provide assistance to Ukrainians living here. Additionally, while detailed plans for the full 2021-27 AMIF programme will not be finalised until the national programme is published, it is my intention to explore ways in which the new AMIF funding can be used to implement some of the objectives in the White Paper.

A number of Deputies raised the issue of direct provision and our treatment of international protection applicants. It is a subject we have discussed on a number of occasions in this House. Concerns were raised about the implementation of the White Paper. I will reiterate some of the progress that has been made. Driver licences and bank accounts can now be accessed by those in international protection. The time period within which someone can seek to work has been reduced from nine to six months. Significantly, vulnerability assessments, which were required of Ireland under EU law for a number of years and which were not implemented, are now being offered to all new international protection applicants. Hundreds of vulnerability assessments have taken place and have revealed the types of vulnerability Deputy Canney mentioned. In addition, In the coming weeks we will bring forward new integration supports to support not only local authorities in the work they do on integration but also the work NGOs around the country do. We will bring forward financial support to enhance that work in the context of supporting the integration not only of Ukrainian displaced persons but also of those in the international protection process living in different parts of the country. Addressing that need for more accommodation and better, more appropriate accommodation, we will bring forward the funding mechanism whereby AHBs can apply for funding to deliver phase 2 accommodation. We have been working in a lot of detail with the Housing Agency and with the representative body for AHBs to make sure we can bring forward a funding stream that is accessible to these bodies.

Deputy Cairns was correct regarding the need to pivot from an emergency response to a long-term response. Since February of this year, we have been undertaking two emergency responses: one to the humanitarian needs of Ukrainian displaced persons arriving in our country and one to the needs of international protection applicants, of whom there has been a significant increase arriving in our country. Since the beginning of this year, 6,498 people have sought international protection in our country. Pre-Covid the last major year in this regard was 2019, and in that year 4,800 people sought international protection, so we are already at 160% of 2019's number of applicants and we are just slightly over halfway through the year. There is a major migration crisis across Europe because of the wars that have been discussed here in Afghanistan and in Syria and because of the conflicts in other parts of Africa. That is putting pressure on the system. Our response at the moment is an emergency response. I acknowledge that it is not always the response we want to give to people, but it is a requirement under international law to make sure that we can accommodate people and provide meals to them. We are doing that at a time we are looking to implement the White Paper and to move on the 7,000 people who were in international protection this time last year and, of course, to support those who have obtained status to move and to live independently. There are a wide range of challenges at play here. The passing of this motion, the provision of this financial support, small as Deputy Pringle said it is, adds to our ability to do this. Undoubtedly, there are major challenges in our response to these two crises, but we deal with them in conjunction with NGOs. Earlier today, I met with the Ukraine community forum. I have been in consistent contact with the NGOs working with Ukrainians and with those in international protection. I will continue to engage in that process in order that we can make the best provision for both displaced persons and international protection applicants.

See this speech in context