John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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174. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way that Tusla has responded to the arrival of 36 unaccompanied child refugees in 2021; the supports that were made available to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5442/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a dedicated social work team for Separated Children Seeking International Protection (SCSIP). Over the past 20 years the SCSIP Team has developed expertise through Ireland’s participation in International Refugee Protection Programmes and by caring for the greater number of separated children seeking international protection who arrive unannounced at Irish ports and airports.

Children who arrive in Ireland as separated children seeking international protection are received into care. These children are placed by Tusla either in specialist residential care centres with a maximum of six children, or with specifically recruited foster families under a Failte Foster care programme. The children are automatically entitled as children in care to a medical card, access to education services and have a social worker allocated to them.

I was delighted to secure €5 million funding for Tusla to ensure Ireland could honor its 2018 commitment to receiving 36 separated children seeking international protection from Greece under the European Union Relief Projects. By end 2021, 37 children, including one infant, had arrived in Ireland from Greece.

The age range of the group, excluding the infant, was from 10 years to 17 years old at date of relocation. 7 of these young people have reached 18 years of age and are now in receipt of Tusla aftercare services while the other children are placed in residential group homes, foster care or transitional foster care for older teenagers. All were allocated a Social Worker and had a Care Plan. School placements, medical treatment and dental treatment were provided. The young people were enrolled in English language support and had therapeutic supports available to them.

In addition, the young people had recourse to legal advisors and were supported in their applications for reunification with displaced family members.