Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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136. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of persons that were deemed adults by the International Protection Office and placed into direct provision following the assessments; and the number that were deemed minors and placed in the care of Tusla. [45467/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Department of Justice has the remit for immigration and international protection processes and it makes the final decision as to whether someone will be considered as a minor during their application for international protection. Where referrals are made to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, by International Protection Office (formerly ORAC) and by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), Tusla’s role is to determine if the person is deemed to be eligible for the provision of services under the Child Care Act 1991

The below table demonstrates the number of eligibility assessments undertaken by Tusla from 2016 to end 2020.

Tusla provides specialist services for separated children seeking international protection (SCSIP) who arrive via two different routes. Applicants who present at ports and other points of entry and declare themselves to be children and are referred by GNIB and the IPO. A smaller number of separated children, agreed to be children before they arrive in Ireland under an organised refugee programme

Between 2016 and 2020 a total of 438 separated children seeking asylum came into the care of Tusla’s Separated Children’s Team.

In 2020 there was 80 referrals to Tusla’s Separated Children’s Team. This was 104 (56%) fewer than the 184 referrals in 2019 and the lowest number of referrals since 2012 (71).

At the end of July 2021 Tusla reported 54 separated children seeking international protection in its care.