Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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289. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the basis on which the 25 refugees that Ireland agreed to take from a ship (details supplied) in the summer of 2018 were brought here; and if they were relocated here as refugee protection programme refugees or otherwise. [8163/19]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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With regard to the vessel referred to by the Deputy, Ireland is one of eight EU Member States who, as a gesture of solidarity, agreed to accept some of the migrants who were on board.

On 1 July 2018 a team from the International Protection Office (IPO) travelled to Malta to arrange for 25 migrants from the vessel to transfer to Ireland in line with a commitment given by the Government. Ireland accepted 26 migrants (4 minors and 22 adults) into the State in order to have their asylum claims processed by the IPO.

These migrants were relocated to Ireland under the IRPP (Irish Refugee Protection Programme), under the SARS strand (Mediterranean Search and Rescue Missions). In total 58 migrants have been accepted under the SARS strand of the IRPP to date.