Written answers

Tuesday, 14 February 2017

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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71. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the integration and mental health services being made available for refugee children upon entering Ireland; the number of child refugees that her Department is anticipating in 2017; and the capacity that her Department has for the provision of such services. [7043/17]

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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In regard to children being relocated from France, I requested that Tusla put in place a project office to manage the assessment and reception of children being relocated following the Dail resolution last November. As the Deputy may appreciate, the needs of the young people have to be assessed carefully. At the moment it appears that many will need support in a residential setting. The resources required will need to be monitored closely as the process unfolds. Tusla is part of the delivery of Ireland's commitments to the EU and UN which are being coordinated under Irish Refugee Protection Programme. Tusla's Separated Children Seeking Asylum team also receive unaccompanied minors who present at our ports and are referred by the immigration services.

Based on current commitments and the likely number that will be referred from immigration services, which can vary from year to year, it is expected that there will be at least 160 unaccompanied minors received by Tusla's Separated Children Seeking Asylum team over the course of the year.

The separated children's team is being expanded to include additional social workers, social care staff and residential centres for assessment and accommodation. This team has developed a well regarded set of expertise and supports to work with children and young people who are found to be unaccompanied minors when they arrive at our borders. I understand that Tusla is examining how best to address the psychological supports needed for the service, including the option of recruiting a psychologist onto the team.

I have been advised that the residential accommodation and additional staff to expand the separated children's team is in hand. I have committed to providing Tusla with the necessary funding to expand this service and I am closely monitoring this to ensure this humanitarian effort will be successful.

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