Separated children seeking asylum who arrive in Ireland are identified and referred to Tusla by an officer representing the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner or the Garda National Emigration Bureau as provided for under Section 8 of the Refugee Act, 1996. All identified children are referred to the Tusla Team for Separated Children Seeking Asylum which provides services including care, education, family reunification and aftercare support.
Tusla has advised that there are six children in care who have not yet applied for asylum. A total of eight children in care have been granted legal status to remain in Ireland and a further 25 are at various stages of the process. Two of these young people completed the Leaving Certificate in 2016 and a further five plan to sit the Leaving Certificate in 2017.
Nine of the young people who have turned 18 years of age since arriving in the country, and who are in receipt of aftercare support, completed the Leaving Certificate in 2016. A further seven hope to sit the Leaving Certificate in 2017. All of these young people are allocated to aftercare workers and are residing in private-rented accommodation, supported lodgings or direct provision.
In order to qualify for a SUSI grant it is necessary to have legal status and satisfy the requirements for habitual residency. As only a few of the young people would qualify in this regard most of them pursue Post Leaving Certificate courses until such time as they qualify or seek other funding sources to cover college fees such as One Foundation or the Dun Laoghaire Refugee Project.
I have requested further information from Tusla which I will forward to the Deputy when received.
