Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Earlier today I reported to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade on my visit to the Middle East last week. I saw at first hand the plight of the Syrian refugee population in Lebanon. The humanitarian catastrophe that has hit the Syrian population is indescribable in its scale and its atrocity. The mere figures of well over 100,000 dead, 4.25 million internally displaced people and 2.1 million refugees, almost a third of Syria's pre-war population, give scant indication of the devastation that the appalling conflict has wrought on Syria and its people. Terrible crimes are committed incessantly against a civilian population in the conflict.

Children are especially badly affected by the conflict. More than a million refugees are children, 70% of whom are without access to education. More than 2.25 million children inside Syria are without schools and over 4.5 million Syrian children are victims of the war.

Ireland has contributed almost €14 million in humanitarian assistance to the victims of this conflict as well as a commitment of €200,000 to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons effort to eliminate Syrian chemical weapons. We remain committed to working for peace in Syria and are supportive of the international efforts to resume peace negotiations, that were endorsed under the Security Council resolution 2118 on 28 September. The UN Secretary-General has called for a conference to be held in mid-November and we appeal to all parties to the conflict to participate sincerely in an effort to bring an end to the tragedy.

Ireland has contributed heavily to the humanitarian relief of the Syrian refugee population, much of it specifically assisting refugees. Clearly, the vast majority of this assistance is delivered to the populations in neighbouring countries where the refugee population is concentrated. It is clearly the case that the resources made available by the State can assist a far greater number of refugees in the Middle East than could be assisted by the same resources in Ireland.

We have also supported a smaller number of Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland. This country joined the UNHCR-led Resettlement Programme following a Government decision in November 1998. Since 2000, 1,066 refugees from 29 different countries have been resettled in Ireland under the programme. The focus of the programme for the remainder of this year and next year is very firmly fixed on persons displaced by the conflict in Syria.

In 2013, 91 persons will be admitted to Ireland as programme refugees from places such as Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo where the conflicts are ongoing since the mid-90s. Four persons, a medical case and immediate family members, were also admitted in July from Syria and a further 31 persons displaced by the Syrian conflict will also arrive in Ireland in the near future for permanent resettlement under the 2013 resettlement programme. Ireland has offered 90 places for persons displaced by the Syrian conflict in 2014.

The HSE provides care for separated children seeking asylum in Ireland, of whom there are under 100 in total from all countries. Foster care is arranged by the HSE for such cases where appropriate homes can be found. At present the HSE has no separated Syrian children in its care. However, in cases where Syrian children apply to Ireland they will be treated with full sympathy and consideration.

It is also possible for private charitable organisations to arrange foster care for Syrian children, along the lines of the laudable efforts that Irish families have made to welcome and care for children from the areas affected by the Chernobyl disaster. There are specific measures set out under Irish law to enable and support private organisations to provide short-term foster care.

I can assure the Seanad that every effort to assist any Syrian children who seek refuge here from the terrible war raging across their country will be made by Irish authorities.