Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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93. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the engagement he has had with the Minister for Health on the provision of additional medical supports for communities where Ukrainians and international protection persons have arrived; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18966/24]

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister will be well aware of the increased pressure in many of our communities where Ukrainians and international protection persons have arrived and been welcomed, in many cases. I have raised Ballaghaderreen with the Minister many times and the pressure health services there are under. If someone moves into the area now, he or she cannot get a GP. Both GP surgeries in the town are running waiting lists. What specific engagement has the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, had with the Minister for Health? What have the Minister for Health and the HSE offered to these communities via the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, where the populations have increased and communities, both existing and new, are under pressure?

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the whole-of-government response has been co-ordinated by a Cabinet committee chaired by the Taoiseach. Due to the impact of the dramatic increase in applicants, matters relating to international protection are also addressed at that Cabinet committee. My engagement with the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, and all other Ministers with responsibilities in the Government's response to the migration pressures is within the framework of the Cabinet committee. The Cabinet committee is supported by a senior officials group and that, again, is under the leadership of the Department of the Taoiseach. The senior officials group consists of senior officials from all Departments, including my Department and the Department of Health. This group meets on a regular basis and issues arising are followed up by the relevant departmental officials as required.

While my Department assists with the Government’s response to ensure that beneficiaries of temporary protection and international protection applicants receive accommodation, in line with Government policy, my colleague, the Minister for Health, co-ordinates the provision of health supports as appropriate.

My officials have regular meetings with the HSE’s national social inclusion office to discuss operational matters. The HSE is provided with information regarding new accommodation centres coming onstream and the number of beneficiaries of temporary protection, BOTP, and international protection applicants in State-provided accommodation across Ireland. These meetings enable officials in the HSE to provide any additional medical supports for communities, if required.

My Department’s community engagement team liaises directly with elected representatives, relevant local authorities, local development companies, and other entities and individuals. The community engagement team, CET, informs all relevant State support services, including the Department of Health and the HSE, of the opening of accommodation centres for both Ukrainians and international protection applicants, and enables them to prepare any additional supports needed to assist residents to settle in to the local community.

The whole-of-government Ukraine response is supported at a local level by the community integration forum in each local authority. Key State agencies, such as the HSE, would be represented on the community integration forums.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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I thank the Minister. We are out of time but I will allow one minute.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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This is my tenth time to raise Ballaghaderreen and the need for additional practical resources. It has received refugees and international protection persons for seven years now and has nothing to show for it. We have to battle for an extension for the local school. At long last, there has been movement. Funding for the childcare facility has been pulled and we are awaiting a decision on that. There is no access to GPs for people who are moving into the town and existing patients have to wait weeks for appointments.

I would love to know where existing communities have received additional medical supports. I asked the Tánaiste about this last November and he said he would provide me with a list. I am still waiting for that. I would love to know one area in the country that has received additional medical supports. Ballaghaderreen should have received that, but has not. I again ask the Minister of State where the additional health resources are being put in. If they are being put in, Ballaghaderreen should be top of the list, or very close to it, for additional health resources. There is a desperate need for these resources.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I thank the Deputy. She has raised the issue of the need for additional support for Ballaghaderreen. We are dealing with a small but important issue in terms of access to a leisure facility service. I communicated with the Deputy on that earlier today.

Where there is high pressure on health services, we look to see whether measures can be put in place that will divert some of the international protection applicants or Ukrainians from those services. This has been done in a number of locations across the country in conjunction with the HSE and HSE social inclusion. I do not have a full list for the Deputy. I can look to speak to the Minister for Health or HSE; they would have a clear list. We have looked to put in place solutions in certain areas to divert, through the provision of bespoke medical services, Ukrainians and international protection applicant from GP lists so that people do not experience delays beyond the existing pressures that we all recognise are on GP services.