Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 79: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the rationale behind the accepting of 200 of the 300 Kurdish refugees from a Jordanian refugee camp; and if this implies that the Government are prepared to select the most able bodied people and leave the old and infirm in Jordan which will cause much upset and dissension to the families involved. [17610/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I would like to give the deputy some background to the refugee situation in this Jordanian camp. Ireland is one of 18 countries which voluntarily participates in resettlement programmes co-ordinated by the UNHCR. Resettlement programmes are designed to find a durable solution for persons, generally in a country of first asylum, where local integration or repatriation is not an option. Following a Government Decision in July, 2005, Ireland increased its resettlement quota from 10 cases (approximately 40 persons) per year to 200 persons per year.

Ireland, along with a number of other resettlement countries, has responded on a humanitarian basis to a request from the UNHCR to facilitate the resettlement of a group of approximately 300 Iranian Kurds currently located in a UNHCR camp in Jordan. This group will be resettled in a number of resettlement countries, including Ireland. In accordance with good resettlement practice, once it has been established that a resettlement country can cater for the needs of an applicant family, families are accepted and resettled as a unit.

Preparations are already in hand for the group of refugees coming to Ireland following a recent mission to Jordan by officials of my Department. Our refugee resettlement programme involves co-ordination of all services both from a central and local perspective and is in line with best international resettlement practice. I would like to reassure the Deputy that our refugees are accepted and supported as complete family units and the concerns expressed by the Deputy simply do not arise.