Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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62. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the engagement by his Department with children within the asylum system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30627/20]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Generally, three cohorts of children can be involved with the international protection process, those in the company of their parents or guardian, children who arrive unaccompanied by a guardian (separated children) to ports of entry and unaccompanied child refugees who come to Ireland under specific relocation projects under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP). The processing of all international protection applications is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Justice.

While Tulsa has no role in the asylum system, it has a specialist team of social workers dealing with separated children - the Separated Children Seeking Asylum (SCSA) team. The SCSA team also works with unaccompanied minors that Ireland has agreed to accept under specific projects led by the IRPP. The SCSA will assist the child in completing a protection application form for the International Protection Office and will also provide emotional support to the child.

Separated children are the largest cohort of children who come into Tusla care when they present to the immigration authorities at our sea and air ports. The service provided to these children is demand-led, and accurately estimating future demand is challenging as the international situation can change quickly. These children are received into care and are placed in residential and foster care.

Tusla's SCSA team received 167 referrals in 2019. Often such referrals include children who arrive unaccompanied at a port of entry but who have an adult relative or friend who lives in Ireland and is willing to care for them. The children who do not have adult relatives or guardians are received into care. There were 46 of these children in 2019.

With regard to children who are accompanied by their parents or guardians, such children are included in the protection applications made by their parents. The International Protection Accommodation Service of my Department (IPAS) has no role in the processing of asylum applications. IPAS is responsible for the provision of accommodation and other services to persons who indicate their need for such accommodation during the protection application process. IPAS has developed a number of policies, including a Child Protection and Welfare Policy and a Domestic and Gender Based Violence Policy. The implementation of the Child Welfare Policy is overseen by a social work team leader on secondment from Tusla to the Child and Family Services unit of IPAS. This unit provides assistance to centres, develops policies, oversees their implementation and works to ensure that families receive the supports they require while they are being accommodated in our accommodation centres.

Numerous organisations, including NGOs and State Partners, provide in-reach assistance to the families to assist with their orientation to the country. Such assistance includes linking them in to State supports and legal advisory services.

Other key service responses delivered, or supported, by Tusla such as Tusla Education Support Services, Family Support Services and Children and Young People’s Services Committees actively engage with children in these settings to support their transition and integration.

In addition, IPAS has a seconded official from the Department of Education working fulltime with the service to assist residents with the placement of their children in local schools. All children, irrespective of their gender, including children of international protection applicants, refugees, migrant workers and unaccompanied minors can access pre-school, first and second level education in a manner similar to Irish nationals, until they have reached the age of 18 years.