Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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373. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applications received from potential community sponsors in the county and city of Galway respectively, under the community sponsorship Ireland scheme; the number that have received refugees to date; the number approved as community sponsors and undergoing training; the number awaiting approval; the name of each group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9168/20]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that to date, eight refugee families (30 individuals) have arrived in Ireland under community sponsorship and have been warmly received by their host communities. A further nine communities have been approved as community sponsorship groups and are now actively undergoing the required training through their respective Regional Support Organisation.

Of these communities, none are currently from the county or city of Galway. It is expected that as the programme grows and becomes more established this is likely to change.

As the Deputy may be aware, Community Sponsorship Ireland is a new community based sponsorship programme which invites members of the public to play a key role in the integration of refugees into Irish society. This new initiative was developed by my Department in collaboration with civil society organisations and formally launch in November last year, when I also held a briefing session for Oireachtas Members.  Following this, in January,  I also wrote to all Oireachtas Members providing information on the Programme and asking members to consider lending their support to the establishment of a Community Sponsorship Group in their locality.

Community Sponsorship provides a new mechanism to enhance existing rights-based support.  Under the programme, private citizens and community based organisations will provide direct support and assistance to refugees settling in their locality through a structured programme of supports.  Involved communities will be empowered to promote, support and facilitate access to services and supports tailored to transition vulnerable families into Irish society and towards independent living through inclusion into the wider community.

Last December, Minister Flanagan and I unveiled plans to welcome up to 2,900 more refugees between 2020 and 2023 through a combination of resettlement and the new community sponsorship initiative.

Ireland remains committed to accepting a minimum of 100 individuals for resettlement under the community sponsorship model for 2020. As the Deputy will appreciate, the situation at this time remains challenging due to travel restrictions in place owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.