Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 September 2016
72. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to meet international obligations to assist in the international refugee crisis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27376/16]
View answerThe Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) was established by Government Decision on 10 September 2015 as a direct response to the humanitarian crisis that developed in Southern Europe as a consequence of mass migration from areas of conflict in the Middle East and Africa. Under the programme, the Government has pledged to accept a total of 4,000 persons overall under the EU Relocation and Resettlement programmes. This is made up of approximately 2,622 persons to be relocated to Ireland from other EU Member States (Italy and Greece) under the two EU relocation decisions and 520 programme refugees which Ireland pledged to resettle under the voluntary EU resettlement programme. Persons admitted here under these programmes will also have an entitlement to family reunification, if they wish to do so, thereby further increasing the numbers accepted by Ireland.
Under the Resettlement programme, the 520 programme refugees are to be resettled in Ireland under the UNHCR-led programme by December 2017. To date, some 486 of these 520 have been admitted from Lebanon. Sufficient cases were selected during a selection mission to Lebanon earlier this year to fill the rest of the quota of 520. These cases have been security screened and health screened and are scheduled to arrive between now and the end of October. As we will have fulfilled our commitments under the EU Resettlement programme ahead of target, the Government and I recently announced that we are extending the resettlement programme to take in a further 260 refugees from Lebanon in 2017.
As regards the EU relocation programme, it is well documented that the pace of arrivals under this programme to date has been slower than expected. The Government is wholly committed to ensuring that Ireland meets its obligations under the programme in a timely fashion. I am pleased to report, therefore, that following a highly productive visit by Irish officials to Greece earlier this year, the frequency and numbers of arrivals has increased and is continuing to improve. Ireland has to date taken in 69 Syrian people, mostly families. It is estimated that by the end of 2016 Ireland will have accepted up to 360 people under relocation. The intention thereafter is to sustain the pace and size of intakes throughout 2017 at the levels required to allow Ireland to meet its commitments within the timeframes envisaged under the EU Relocation Decisions. As regards relocations from Italy, some technical issues have arisen with regard to the programme in Italy. More recently, I spoke directly with relevant EU Ministerial colleagues, and a Departmental official travelled to Italy in order to address the delays. Following this work a solution to the technical issues preventing relocations from Italy is in train.
In announcing the IRPP, the Government recognised the importance of prioritising family groups and in addressing the position of unaccompanied children. A significant number of those who have arrived to date are children with one or two parents. With regard to unaccompanied minors Ireland has formally indicated to Greece its desire to accept unaccompanied minors under the relocation mechanism and we now have a commitment from the Greek authorities that Ireland will be receiving the first group of unaccompanied minors later this year. Tusla - the Child and Family Agency with responsibility for the care of unaccompanied minors in the State - will travel to Greece to assess the needs of those minors and plan for their care and accommodation upon arrival. It is not possible at this juncture to determine the overall number of unaccompanied minors that will be accepted during the lifetime of the programme as it will depend on the number of cases referred by Greece and the level of resources that each individual case will require upon arrival. Ireland will continue to prioritise its commitment to offer protection to this vulnerable group.
As part of our humanitarian response to the crisis you will be aware that our naval vessels have also been performing vital search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea. Irish naval vessels have rescued more than 12,000 people at risk of drowning since the operation commenced in May of last year.
Equally important is the support we provide to countries hosting large numbers of refugees and migrants. Ireland has committed to providing multi-annual funding to the World Food Programme; some €60 million over the next three years, which is specifically targeted at refugees and in particular Syrian refugees. We are also contributing €22.9 million to the Refugee Facility Fund to support Syrian refugees in Turkey. In addition, Irish Aid, the Government's development co-operation programme has been supporting efforts to assist the Syrian people, which by the end of 2015 saw a total of €42 million in support provided with an additional €20 million pledged for 2016.
I continue to work proactively with my colleagues in Europe to ensure that Ireland and the European Union responds comprehensively to all aspects of the ongoing migration and refugee crisis.
