Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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258. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if his Department has discussed refugee integration as an aspect of rural development policy with the Departments of Housing, Planning and Local Government and Rural and Community Development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41804/17]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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The development of integration policy at the local community level is the focus of Action 52 of the Migrant Integration Strategy - A Blueprint for the future which was published by Government on 7 February 2017.  This action requires local authorities to update the integration strategies for their respective local authority areas - including rural areas - over the lifetime of the National Strategy i.e. from 2017 to 2020.

The most recent report from the Local Authority Management Agency to the Integration Strategy Monitoring and Co-ordination Committee in respect of this action indicates that 14 local authorities already have an integration strategy in place and 3 local authorities have a new strategy in development.  Another 2 authorities have indicated they will commence the development of their integration strategy towards the end of 2017.  The Immigrant Council of Ireland is also engaging with local authorities on this work.   

A Monitoring and Co-ordination Committee has been established to support the process of implementing the Migrant Integration Strategy. The Committee, which I chair, comprises representatives of relevant Government Departments, State Agencies and the NGO sector and met for the first time on 27 June 2017. The Committee is due to meet again this week (4th October).  Progress on the implementation of the actions in the Strategy will be reviewed at the end of 2018 and a report prepared for Government.  Integration, including in rural areas, is a priority for me in terms of the work programme for that Committee.