I propose to take Questions Nos. 1338 and 1344 together.
Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has statutory responsibility for the care of any unaccompanied minors in the State. If an unaccompanied minor indicates that they wish to apply for international protection, they are referred to Tusla, either by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) at the airport/port of entry, or by staff at the International Protection Office (IPO) of my Department.
The IPO refers all persons who present at the IPO indicating that they wish to apply for international protection and who state that they are unaccompanied minors to Tusla. Table 1 below sets out the statistics for these referrals from 2017 to date in 2021. The IPO does not maintain statistics on age disputes and the outcome of any age assessment is entirely a matter for Tusla, which is under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
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Table 1
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Year
|
No of unaccompanied minors referred to Tusla by IPO
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|
2017
|
31
|
|
2018
|
15
|
|
2019
|
32
|
|
2020
|
28
|
|
2021
|
10
|
Section 15(4) of the International Protection Act 2015, provides that where it appears to the Child and Family Agency, on the basis of information, including legal advice, available to it, that an application for international protection should be made on behalf of a child under 18 in respect of whom it is providing care and protection, it shall arrange for an employee of the Agency to make an application on behalf of the child and to represent and assist the child with respect to the examination of the application.
Tusla will conduct a Best Interest of the Child assessment. Only after that assessment has been completed and it is decided that it is in the best interest of the child to do so, will they bring the unaccompanied minor to the IPO to make an international protection application on their behalf.
Specific arrangements will be made by the IPO in conjunction with Tusla for the processing of the application. Tusla will support the minor throughout the process, including attending at their interview, and the IPO has specially trained caseworkers to process these applications.
Table 2 below sets out the number of applications for international protection made in respect of unaccompanied minors by Tusla. It is important to note that the year in which the application was made is not necessarily the year in which the referral to Tusla was made.
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Table 2
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Year
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No. of applications for international protection made by Tusla on behalf of unaccompanied minors
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2017
|
32
|
|
2018
|
19
|
|
2019
|
51
|
|
2020
|
29
|
|
2021
|
16
|
