Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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169. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide a schedule the number of staff by grade who are assigned on a full-time basis to liaise and provide support to the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in order for that Department to fulfil its areas of responsibility in respect of providing for the needs of those seeking international protection and persons categorised by virtue of the temporary protection directive by the European Union; and if he will provide a schedule of the services that his Department provides to the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in that regard. [50452/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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My Department coordinates the provision of healthcare services for refugees, including beneficiaries of temporary protection and applicants for international protection. The Department is committed to providing access to healthcare services for refugees arriving in Ireland under the various government programmes that are in place, including international protection and temporary protection. Currently, healthcare services are being provided for over 60,000 refugees across over 800 accommodation facilities, including primary care, public health, mental health, disabilities, acute hospitals and maternity services. To supplement the activities of staff coordinating this work across various policy units in the Department, the Department has established a Ukraine refugee coordination group. This group has an Administrative Officer and Higher Executive Officer assigned on a fulltime basis.

The Department works closely with the Office of the National Director, Integrated Operations – Planning and the National Office for Social Inclusion in the HSE, which has operational responsibility for the delivery of healthcare services for refugees.

My Department engages on an ongoing basis with the Department Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth with regard to the provision of healthcare services for refugees in the accommodation facilities provided by that department. Similarly, the HSE has regular engagement with officials in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth with regard to the provision of healthcare services for refugees in the accommodation facilities it provides. The HSE is co-located at the national transit and reception centre for refugees in Citywest, which is managed by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The HSE is also a partner in the community forums set up by local government to coordinate services for Ukrainian refugees.

The Department is represented at Principal Officer level on the programme board to oversee the transition to the new International Protection Support Service, convened by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The Department is represented at Assistant Secretary level on the senior officials group coordinating the government’s humanitarian response to the Ukraine crisis, convened by the Department of the Taoiseach and including the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.