Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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340. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the imminent closure of three Elliniko refugee camps in Greece; if his Department is playing a role in the resettlement of the camps' inhabitants, in particular unaccompanied minors; if his Department has a presence on the ground in these camps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25828/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am aware that the Elliniko migrant facility based in the former Athens international airport is being closed. The site was unsuitable as a longer-term facility and the Greek government decided to move the residents to other locations in the Attica region. The closure is part of the Greek government's plan to close substandard camps and to upgrade better functioning facilities. This is solely a function of the Greek government and is their decision. Ireland has no presence on the ground in the camps.

Ireland is offering practical solidarity to Greece through the EU relocation programme which we voluntarily opted into in 2015. As part of this programme, Ireland has now taken in 459 asylum seekers from Greece and that number will increase in the coming weeks and months.

In respect of unaccompanied minors, it should be noted that under the Greek definition - which is broader than the Irish definition - Ireland has to date taken in 22 unaccompanied minors from Greece. Of course, the cohort of asylum seekers which Ireland is taking from Greece already includes large numbers of young children. Officials from the Department of Justice and Equality located in the Irish Embassy in Athens already work closely with both officials from the Irish Refugee Protection Programme, other Government Departments and agencies, an Garda Síochána as well as colleagues in the Greek Asylum Service, the International Organisation for Migration and other bodies, in order to make the relocation programme in Greece a success.

Ireland has agreed to take 1,089 asylum seekers from Greece by September 2017 and, in close cooperation with Greek colleagues and a range of other actors, is well on target to process these numbers within that deadline.