Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

176. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to resettle Syrian refugees currently located in Lebanon as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34206/20]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In March this year, an Irish selection mission took place in Beirut, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The resettlement of refugees from Lebanon was interrupted earlier in the year by Covid-19 restrictions.

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that plans are currently in train for the arrival later this month of 198 programme refugees interviewed and security cleared by Irish officials in March. A further 12 refugees from the March 2019 selection mission to Lebanon will arrive at the same time.

An additional 18 programme refugees in Jordan interviewed and security cleared in July 2019 will also be arriving in Ireland towards the end of November.

Appropriate quarantine arrangements in respect of the Covid-19 virus will be put in place for all arrivals.