Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I thank the Minister of State for taking this important issue. I raise the issue of the Moria refugee camp on the island of Lesbos in Greece. As the Minister of State is aware, a fire two weeks ago destroyed the camp and people were left destitute. All their belongings were destroyed and thousands of people are now without any kind of shelter on the island. This is a humanitarian crisis that has been festering for many years and has not been addressed by the Greek Government or the EU.

The situation is now also set against the spectre of Covid-19. An outbreak has happened and 35 people in the camp have tested positive. This is an ongoing situation and the conditions are beyond inhumane. An Irish doctor, Dr. Claire Dunne, works on the island for Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF. She paints a particularly dark and stark picture of life in the camp, and she wrote an article in theIrish Examiner last year, which is deeply troubling to read, to say the least. I refer to children's mental health from living in the camp and all that comes with that. Children and adults there have already fled from war, persecution and poverty.

Nearly 12,000 refugees are living in the camp and they have all fled from the types of situations to which I referred. Some 4,000 of the refugees are children and 400 of those are unaccompanied children. As the site was originally built for 3,000 people, it now has four times the number of people it was designed to cater for. I seek a comment from the Minister of State regarding what Ireland intends to do in response to this situation. Germany stated last week that it will take 1,500 migrants from the camp, which is welcome. I know the Minister with responsibility for equality and integration, Deputy O'Gorman, stated that four unaccompanied minors will come to the State in the weeks to come. While this is welcome, I make the point that representatives of MSF have stated that Ireland and other EU member states have simply not done anything like enough regarding this issue. It has been left to fester for a long time but, thankfully, no one was killed in the fire. Thousands of people, however, have been left destitute. What will Ireland's response be in the weeks and months to come to take in some of the children and adults from this camp?

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The EU's response regarding refugees fleeing from persecution in the last decade, particularly in recent years, has been shameful. It has allowed people to drown in the Mediterranean. That is a fact. It has also allowed this camp on Lesbos to fester. Pictures on BBC and RTÉ television of people living in the camp show them living in conditions worse than those for animals and the EU has let that happen.

I refer the Minister of State to the EU's commitment. Ireland has stated that it will only undertake to accept 36 children from this camp but only eight children have been accepted thus far. Why is progress so slow? I refer back to Dr. Claire Dunne's analysis of the camp. She stated that EU member states should show solidarity and give people sanctuary, which is what they are asking for, and not to be treated like animals. Ireland should respond better than it has done and should take more of these unaccompanied children. I cannot comprehend what it is like to be in such a situation without parents. We should hold out our hands, accept more children from this situation and give people hope and a home.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I can understand the disappointment that only eight of the 36 unaccompanied minors who have been accepted by this country have arrived thus far. I understand that the difficulty has been with the impact of Covid-19 but the Department will now step up, try to resolve the situation, get those children to Ireland and give them the support they desperately need. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, is very much aware of this situation and will ensure that those unaccompanied minors can be facilitated to come here, despite the situation with Covid-19.

As I said at the outset, officials are currently considering how and if we can accommodate a small number of families as a gesture of solidarity. We also have existing commitments regarding refugee resettlement under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR-led, programme. This will include 650 refugee resettlements this year, 700 next year, 750 in 2022 and 800 in 2023. Families already resident here may also apply to bring their family members to Ireland under the family reunification policy or family reunification provisions of the International Protection Act 2015. I understand that the new EU pact on migration and asylum contains a comprehensive series of actions, including some new legislative proposals, across the full range of migration policies, including addressing the root causes of migration, the reform of the common European asylum system, crisis preparedness and response, co-operation and partnership with third countries.

The proposals, including the legislative initiatives, will require careful consideration regarding their implications for Ireland but we will continue to be a constructive participant in the negotiation process. I assure the Deputy that I will bring his concerns to the attention of the Minister, Deputy McEntee.