Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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131. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she has discussed with her British counterpart the United Kingdom’s plans to continue accepting refugees following the Brexit vote; her plans to accept an increased numbers of refugees following the possible impact of the Brexit vote; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19415/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The result of the recent referendum in the United Kingdom marks the beginning of a new phase which will include a negotiated withdrawal from the European union by the UK that is expected to take place over a two year period once Article 50 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) is invoked by the UK.

In September 2015, the Government agreed to establish the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) and to accept up to 4,000 persons overall under the EU relocation and resettlement programmes. This is made up of approximately 2,622 persons to be relocated to Ireland from other EU Member States (Italy and Greece) under the two EU relocation decisions and 520 programme refugees which Ireland pledged to resettle under the voluntary EU resettlement programme. I recently announced that Ireland will resettle an additional 260 programme refugees from Lebanon in Spring 2017. The mechanism by which the balance of persons will be admitted has yet to be decided. Persons admitted here under these programmes will also have an entitlement to family reunification, thereby further increasing the potential numbers to be accepted by Ireland.

The United Kingdom is not taking part in the EU relocation and resettlement programmes and therefore the numbers to be admitted to Ireland and other EU Member States under these measures will not be impacted by the result of the recent UK referendum. In addition to the IRPP, Ireland continues to accept applications for refugee status from persons who are inside or at the frontiers of the State.

Ireland has always lived up to its international humanitarian obligations and I will continue to work with my colleagues in Europe to ensure that Ireland and the European Union responds comprehensively to the current migration and refugee crisis.