Under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) Ireland has committed to accepting 50 people in family groups from the camp at Moria in Greece. Officials from my Department have been in contact with EU counterparts to confirm this pledge and to begin the process of resettling refugees to Ireland.
Ireland has also committed to taking 36 unaccompanied minors from Greece, under the European Union Relief Projects (EURP). In June this year the first 8 unaccompanied minors arrived, delayed by the additional challenges presented for travel by the Covid 19 pandemic. I can report that the 8 teenage boys who arrived in June are settling in well and becoming acclimatised to life in Ireland.
I have moved to accelerate the arrival of the remaining children and have secured an additional €5m in Budget 2021 to support this. I hope to be in a position to announce further information soon. At present we await details of the family groups and unaccompanied minors and clarification regarding logistics for the interview missions required to transfer refugee families to Ireland.
Families arriving in Ireland will be firstly accommodated in Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres, prior to resettlement in counties around the country, with access to all of the services provided to refugees arriving under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme. Such services include those available to Irish citizens.
Unaccompanied minors arriving in Ireland will be transferred to the care of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.
With respect to plans to realise our full commitment to taking unaccompanied minors on an accelerated timescale, a variety of options are being carefully explored. The State’s capacity to bring such children to Ireland is determined by the available care placements, and the commitments that the State has made to unaccompanied minors who are already here.
These options include expansion of care placements, the development of specialised foster care placements, and provision of aftercare supports when children turn 18.
In practical terms, my Department, Tusla the Child and Family Agency are working with the EU, who are implementing new Standard Operating Procedures, to identify unaccompanied minors who wish to come to Ireland. My Department and Tusla also continue to work with Department of Health and Health Service Executive officials to ensure that any transfer can be carried out in line with public health advice.
