Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It could be individuals or whole families, but not children specifically. I am not aware of any programme specifically geared towards taking children on their own. I understand what the Senator said in that children are the most vulnerable and need education. Many children are not getting that education in the Syrian context, so it is a very serious matter. The message I got from the Lebanese people and political leaders when I was there last week was that they want not only humanitarian aid to be made available to the refugees or displaced persons but that countries get resources to allow them to maintain their services, to provide educational facilities for children coming in and to provide other services which might be needed. That would probably be a better approach to ensure the host countries in the surrounding area have the necessary resources to provide those educational services. It is a matter which should be looked at but currently there is much flux in regard to the resettlement programmes.