Written answers

Tuesday, 20 October 2020

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Refugee Resettlement Programme

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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48. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to assist refugees and in particular children affected by the fire in the Moira refugee camp on Lesbos, Greece; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29746/20]

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for his question on this very pressing matter.

I am extremely concerned with the plight of the refugees in Moria following the fires there, especially young people who are without parents or family in the camp.

Permission to come to Ireland, and the legal right to remain, is the responsibility of the Department of Justice and Equality. That same department administers the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP). I was gladdened by my colleague, Minister McEntees', recent announcement to bring 50 people in family units from the camp to Ireland in the coming weeks.

Due to the level of need among refugees since the destruction of the Moria camp, I am seeking to expand Ireland’s capacity to care for unaccompanied children, the vast majority of them are aged between 15 and 17 years. My Department and Tusla officials are examining the immediate requirements to fulfil Ireland’s existing commitments, including expansion of care placements and working with Department of Justice and Equality officials to identify unaccompanied children who wish to come to Ireland.

Ireland remains committed to accepting 36 unaccompanied minors and has to date received 8 teenage boys. The young people arrived safely and are settling in well with their new lives. The transfer of this group had been delayed by the COVID-19 public health crisis, and took place in June.

Tusla is presently working to progress the transfer of four additional young people from Greece, which would form part of the overall commitment to accept 36 young people.

The state’s capacity to bring unaccompanied children to Ireland is determined by the available care placements, and the commitments the state has made to unaccompanied children who are already here.

Due to the level of need among refugees since the destruction of the Moria camp, I am seeking to expand Ireland’s capacity to care for unaccompanied children and to accelerate their arrival here. In the Budget allocations last week I secured additional funding to support this aim.

Tusla was allocated an additional €61M in Budget 2021. A portion of these additional resources will support Tusla to meet our commitments to transfer additional unaccompanied minors in Greece to Ireland as quickly as possible. I am confident that we will be in a position to fully achieve our existing commitment and the additional resources provided in Budget 2021 will make sure such transfers can take place on a consistent and sustainable basis.

Tusla has a dedicated Separated Children Seeking Asylum (SCSA) Team, which has developed expertise through Ireland’s participation in international protection programmes, and through caring for unaccompanied minors who arrive unannounced at Irish ports.

Tusla currently has 59 unaccompanied children in care, all of whom come from various international protection contexts, including specific programmes and separated children seeking asylum. In addition at the end of Q1 2020 96 young people, who had previously been unaccompanied children, were in receipt of an aftercare service from Tusla. Seventy nine were in education or accredited training.

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