Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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55. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 97 and 112 of 8 June 2016, if she will further respond to matters raised in correspondence (details supplied). [16518/16]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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As I outlined in my previous reply to Parliamentary Questions Numbers 97 and 112 of 8 June 2016, programme refugees are provided with intensive supports in the first year post arrival in Ireland. These include the provision of accommodation, access to health and education services and the provision of social welfare payments.

A dedicated resettlement support worker is employed in each individual county where programme refugees are being resettled at present. The worker's role is to support programme refugees in terms of accessing services and settling into their new communities.

A language training and orientation programme provided by the local Education and Training Board continues to be available to programme refugees for a year after they are housed in a particular community.

Refugees arriving in Ireland under the Refugee Resettlement programme are afforded programme refugee status upon their arrival in Ireland. These refugees are eligible for social welfare payments on the same basis as Irish citizens and are entitled to apply for relevant social welfare weekly payments such as basic supplementary welfare allowance, jobseeker's allowance, one parent family payment, state pension and child benefit appropriate to the circumstances of the individual or family.

The Department of Social Protection under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme can make exceptional needs payments to help meet essential costs. This scheme is available to persons with refugee status.

Exceptional needs payments made to refugees while in the Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres are largely granted towards clothing costs, transport costs and the purchase of child related items such as prams/buggies. Exceptional needs payments are also paid to support their move from the Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres into the community, including assistance towards rent deposits. Applications are determined on a case by case basis having regard to the individual circumstances presented.

In addition to the payments referred to above, the Department of Social Protection also provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when children start school each autumn. This scheme is available to families with refugee status.

I will ensure that all the cases raised will be investigated further, I have an official in Cork today, and an update will be provided.