Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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390. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide the details of any meetings or engagements that he or his staff or bodies under the aegis of his Department have had with organisations (details supplied) from 1 March 2021 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60155/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Deputy, as requested please see below details of meetings or engagements that I or my officials or bodies under the aegis of my Department have had with the Irish Refugee Council (IRC) and The Irish Immigrant Council (IIC) from 1 March 2021 to date:

In February 2021, as part of the implementation of A White Paper to End Direct Provision and to Establish a New International Protection Support Service, governance structures were established to oversee transition to the new model in the form of a Programme Board. Membership of this Programme Board includes Nick Henderson from the Irish Refugee Council. The Programme Board has met nine times:

- 29 July 2021

- 23 September 2021

- 21 October 2021

- 18 November 2021

- 17 December 2021

- 17 February 2022

- 23 March 2022

- 14 July 2022

- 06 October 2022

Minutes from each of the meetings can be found at www.gov.ie/en/publication/bcb29-monitoring-and-oversight/

I can also confirm to the Deputy that there were a number of calls between officials in my Department and the Irish Refugee Council between July and September 2022 in relation to activating properties pledged by religious communities to the Irish Red Cross as part of the response to the Ukrainian crisis.

I am advised by my officials that the Arrivals and Dispersals Team had a visit from the Irish Refugee Council on 11 November 2022, whereby senior officials in my Department outlined the operations of the Citywest Transit Hub (CWTH).

In addition, my Department engaged with the Irish Refugee Council in relation to properties which were offered by religious orders.  Engagement centred largely around ensuring that there was no duplication in engagement, as many bodies made offers to the Department and other organisations. The Irish Immigrant Council participated in Community Forum meetings while both NGOs participate in the Ukraine NGO Stakeholder Forum which is chaired by my Department.  

The Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) has regular informal and formal engagements with The Irish Refugee Council in its role as a Regional Support Organisation (RSO) for Ireland’s Community Sponsorship programme as well as in relation to the provision of integration support to programme refugees.  The engagements between the IRPP and the Irish Refugee Council chiefly relate to IRPP’s oversight role for the Community Sponsorship Programme, including governance and operational meetings which take place with all community sponsorship stakeholders.

The IRPP also engages with the Irish Refugee Council in relation to the submission of applications and settlement plans from Community Sponsorship Groups, operational and financial reporting and discussions and updates on the provision of cultural orientation to arriving programme refugees.