Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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45. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to recent statements by Tusla that it is not adequately equipped to deal with the transfer of unaccompanied minors from the Calais "Jungle" camp, the steps currently being taken to ensure that her Department and child services agencies here such as Tusla will be readily equipped to accept unaccompanied minors from various locations and that any refugee children who come here will be given the care they need upon arrival; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33519/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I am deeply concerned by the plight of the children who were in the Calais camp, and particularly the many unaccompanied minors who were at the frontline of this terrible situation.

I have asked Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to review its ability to provide safety, protection and hope to greater numbers of unaccompanied children, and to assess the additional resources that may be needed. This work is ongoing. Options to expand our existing emergency and humanitarian supports, and longer term care needs, for these young people who have no family or relatives form part of this review. I have recently held discussions with Tusla, the Immigrant Council and Cabinet colleagues to review this country's response to the overall migrant crisis including recent events in Calais.

It is important to emphasise that we already provide significant assistance to unaccompanied minors who arrive in Ireland on an unplanned basis. Over the past five years, Tusla has taken an average of 100 referrals of unaccompanied children seeking asylum per year, with approximately 70 of these being received into care annually. So far this year there have been 104 unaccompanied children referred to Tusla services and 58 of these remain in care. Tusla has a dedicated Social Work Team for Separated Children Seeking Asylum and they provide support, assessment and care to those children arriving alone into Ireland.

As I speak, Tusla has two senior social workers in Greece, working with the Greek Authorities to arrange for unaccompanied young people aged 16 and 17 who have expressed a wish to come to Ireland to be accommodated. Unaccompanied minors are a vulnerable cohort and the State is duty bound by international and domestic law to protect and provide care. Tusla’s Equity of Care principle ensures that unaccompanied minors receive the same level of protection and care as any other child in State care, and ensures that there is no differentiation of care provision, care practices, care priorities, standards or protocols.

Each unaccompanied minor is allocated a social worker. They are accommodated initially in one of three short term residential intake units while they continue their needs assessment, including health, educational and language needs. Following this time in the children’s residential centre, children are then placed according to their needs. The majority of unaccompanied minors are placed with registered foster carers or supported lodgings carers. Approximately 30% of children referred are reunited with family members or found to be over 18 years of age.