Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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464. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if the Yazidi community of Northern Iraq are included in her plans to accept refugees agreed with the European Union; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46521/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Government has committed to accepting up to 4,000 persons overall under the EU Resettlement and EU Relocation programmes.

The focus of the Irish refugee resettlement programme in recent years has been on the resettlement of refugees displaced by the Syrian conflict who are living in one of the hosting countries in the region, for example those living in Lebanon or Jordan. NGOs working in co-operation with the UNHCR at a local level identify the most vulnerable persons for resettlement, regardless of their race, religion, nationality or ethnicity. These cases are then proposed to Ireland by UNHCR. Ireland accepted both Syrian and Iraqi refugees proposed to Ireland by UNHCR in 2015 and will do so again in 2016. It should be noted that those eligible for resettlement under this resettlement programme will have left their countries of origin.

The focus of the EU Relocation Programme is on the relocation from Italy and Greece to other EU member states of migrants who are in clear need of international protection.