Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 February 2023
69. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the roles and responsibilities of the newly appointed Minister of State with special responsibility for integration and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5815/23]
View answerI wish the Minister of State well in his new role. What are the responsibilities of the newly appointed Minister of State with special responsibility for integration? Is it an acknowledgement that this Ministry has become, or always was, too big and broad? From what we have seen in recent weeks, were Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Deputies reluctant to step into this role or were they allowing another Green Party Deputy to walk the plank on this issue?
The responsibilities to be assigned to me as Minister of State for integration and priority work in these responsibilities are as follows. The Government commits to publishing a national action plan against racism for Ireland. An independent anti-racism committee established by Government in 2020 has created a draft action plan against racism supported in its work by the Department. We plan to launch that plan next month.
The Government is committed to developing a successor to the migrant integration strategy and planning is under way. Consultation for the new strategy will begin shortly and will include input from migrants, Irish citizens with a migrant background, international protection applicants and refugees. The strategy is expected to be published in 2024.
In 2022, the EU agreed to extend the asylum, migration and integration fund, AMIF, 2014 to 2020 programme in response to the refugee crisis arising from the conflict in Ukraine. A call for proposals for projects under AMIF is planned in 2023. The exact budget is to be determined.
As committed to under the White Paper to end direct provision and to establish a new international protection support service, a new international protection integration fund was launched in 2022. This fund offered grants to civil society organisations for projects supporting the integration of international protection applicants. More than €1.6 million in funding was awarded to 67 organisations in 2022. A second fund will be launched later in 2023.
Regarding community engagement and integration capacity building, I am acutely aware from today's proceedings and wider news that communities are anxious to have as much information as possible if and when an accommodation facility is due to come to their area. I understand this need and can confirm that a process has started in the Department of the Taoiseach whereby officials in my Department and the Department of Rural and Community Development are engaging to see how relevant Departments can assist in strengthening the community engagement function.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
Since its establishment in 2015, the Department's Irish refugee resettlement programme has worked with local authorities and communities to house and provide integration support to approximately 4,100 programme refugees resettled throughout Ireland.
Are there any plans to expand the integration fund and community engagement? Has there been an acknowledgement by the Government that this Department needs to be improved? There was talk in some of the earlier engagements of the cross-government approach. We have heard about pressures on GP care. Are there any plans to expand Sláintecare? Are there any plans for the HSE to employ GPs directly in areas where GPs say they are under pressure? Are there any plans to increase the number of medical cards? Has the Minister of State spoken to other Departments about that? There have been complaints that some people are getting medical cards while other people, including those with cancer, are waiting. That is causing frustration.
The Minister of State mentioned the consultation process. I remember how, when the Skellig Star incident happened, a person was directly appointed by the Department of Justice to liaise with local representatives and local communities. Does the Minister of State plan to put someone like that back in place?
I will provide more information about community engagement as I was limited in my reply due to time constraints. In combination with the process within the Department of the Taoiseach, I am already drawing on my role in the Department of Rural and Community Development to use local networks that already exist and that will be very important to the integration and community engagement process.
I am in three Departments at the moment. I am not in the Department of Health. I am aware of the GP issue. Last year, as part of my role in the Department of Rural and Community Development, I visited Kerry and the community response forums where the issue of GP access was raised. In turn, I raised this with the Minister for Health ahead of the budgetary process last year.
My understanding is there were increased budgetary allocations in that regard.
The community recognition fund comprises €50 million, a substantial sum, to be spread over two years. We want to see substantial projects that will have a long-lasting impact, with €30 million allocated for this year and €20 million for next year.
I am somewhat worried given the Minister of State is now working in three separate Departments, yet this is such an important area. We are seeing the rise of the far right and we do not want what happened in the Netherlands and Sweden to happen here. Should some Minister or Minister of State have sole responsibility for this such that it would be his or her one job to deal with integration? Perhaps the Minister of State is spreading himself too thin in dealing with all the other issues. I note he took questions in the House regarding social protection earlier.
He did not mention anything about accommodation. What efforts are being made with regard to holiday homes? The White Paper mentioned six reception centres that would deal with people during their first four months in the country. Should this role be tied in with the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service rather than having two separate Departments deal with people who make applications to be accommodated?
There were several issues there. There is great value to me being in the Departments of Rural and Community Development and Social Protection as well as the Department we are discussing, and that was the thinking behind bringing me to this Department. I also bring the community sector links to this Department. We have all seen at a grassroots level communities responding throughout last year and more recently to the challenges they face. It is very much my intention to bring that value, experience and connections to this role as well, and that has started.
Kerry has been allocated €4.4 million under the community recognition fund. The Deputy mentioned holiday homes. A stream of work is happening to assist us in the challenges we face under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The vacant homes scheme has brought 800 properties on stream, which is an important assistance to mention from that Department.
