Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2019
124. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the conditions in a camp (details supplied) have been discussed at recent EU Foreign Affairs Council meetings; the steps that have been taken by the EU and Ireland to address the appalling conditions in the camps; his views on whether the camp is fit for purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17683/19]
View answerThe Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) deals with the external aspects of migration, in particular cooperation with the countries of origin and transit. The FAC has held wide ranging discussions with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, and the Director-General of the International Organisation for Migration, António Vitorino.
Lead responsibility for migration policy in general, including issues within the EU, rests with the Justice and Home Affairs Council, on which Ireland is represented by my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality. In regard to the specific situation in Greece, there are approximately 14,500 refugees and migrants currently on the Aegean islands. This number, while very high, is still much lower than that in the earlier years of the migration crisis. According to the UNHCR, a total of 5,492 people have arrived in Greece by sea since the beginning of 2019. Over one-third of those arriving are children, with 15 percent of all children being registered as unaccompanied or separated. The majority of those reaching the Aegean islands arrive on Lesvos (which includes Moria camp) or Samos - both of which are experiencing overcrowding.
The European Commission has granted over €816.4 million in emergency assistance for the migrant situation in Greece since the beginning of 2015. The funding enabled the delivery of primary healthcare, better hygiene conditions and the construction of temporary housing for people in need. EU-funded projects also ensured the provision of food and other essentials such as sleeping bags, blankets, and personal hygiene items. The emergency funding comes on top of the €613.5 million already allocated to Greece under the national programmes for 2014-2020 (€328.3 million from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and €285.2 million from the Internal Security Fund).
Our Embassy in Athens constantly monitors the situation in the camps and officials have visited Moria camp on a number of occasions. In December 2018, the Embassy provided funding of €10,000 to a local NGO, METAdrasi, to support informal education activities for children resident in Moria camp. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Mr. Charlie Flanagan T.D. has announced that Ireland would accept up to 36 unaccompanied minors from camps in Greece and it is expected that this initiative, led jointly by Tusla and the Department of Justice and Equality, will begin shortly.
