Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We are doing our best to ensure we have a stakeholder group that will ensure consultation that includes the city and county council managers so that, at county and city council levels, there will be co-ordination.

At the first meeting of the task force on the Irish refugee protection programme, chaired by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, and held on 16 September, it was agreed that the Department of Justice and Equality would take the lead in the process of relocating persons to Ireland and the establishment of emergency relocation and orientation centres. The Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner will be responsible for the processing of the protection applications of those persons being relocated here. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the city and county council management network will lead on providing accommodation for persons granted refugee status. The Department of Justice and Equality, the Office of Public Works and the Department of Defence are currently carrying out an assessment of any available State properties. The Irish Red Cross has been given the task of communicating with the public and assessing, profiling and co-ordinating offers of public support and accommodation. This has been referred to by quite a few Senators, especially those from the west. Earlier this week, the Irish Red Cross set up a dedicated website to enable members of the public to formally register their pledges. The Departments of Health, Education and Skills and Social Protection and relevant agencies, such as the HSE and Tusla, will provide health, education and welfare services and other services and supports.

Once the 4,000 people are granted status, they will be able to apply for family reunification. That is one of the issues raised. As I said, Tusla is engaging with the HSE to ensure the well-being of children is protected.The international protection Bill is expected to be published in the coming weeks and enacted by the end of the year. This new legislation will significantly improve arrangements for the processing of asylum applications and greatly reduce the time persons spend in the direct provision system. Today is about getting permission to opt-in. We have no indication as to whether our arrivals will be single persons or families and, therefore, there is still a way to go on that. The task force has a specific committee chaired by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to liaise directly with NGOs to provide support services and I can provide further clarification on this. A total of 180 additional staff have been allocated to support the programme. Those who come here have a strong likelihood of qualifying for status and the Government has approved additional staff resources for processing which should lead to a faster granting of status, possibly weeks after arrival.

The issue of the wording, "to the benefit of Italy and Greece", was raised. That is the wording of the Council agreement.

We all acknowledge that there have been serious deficiencies in the direct provision system but it has not failed to provide accommodation, food and other supports for all asylum seekers who have come to this State over the past 15 years, which should be acknowledged. From a cross-party point of view, we all openly acknowledge that the Government is trying to rectify the position and, by any objective standard, we have done a good job.