To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the efforts currently being made at EU level to address the migration and refugee crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
- Darragh O'Brien. For ORAL answer on Tuesday, 30th May, 2017. Ref No: 25616/17 Lottery: 55 Proof: 96 REPLY The migration crisis has been one of the greatest challenges facing the EU for the past two years. Migration has featured on the agenda of almost every European Councils in the same period and will be on the agenda of next month’s European Council too. It has also featured prominently on the Foreign Affairs and Justice and Home Affairs’ Council agendas. The EU has responded to the crisis by adopting a range of measures to deal with this mass movement of people. These have included engaging with countries of origin and transit to address the root causes of migration including through bespoke Migration Compacts; agreeing a plan to relocate migrants from Italy and Greece across the Union; the launching of Operation Sophia to disrupt people smuggling in the Mediterranean; and substantial financial assistance to countries hosting large numbers of migrants. EU Heads of State and Government concluded a landmark migration deal with Turkey in March 2016, which has resulted in a very substantial reduction in the number of migrants risking their lives at sea to enter the EU from Turkey. In the past year the focus has shifted from Turkey to the so-called Central Mediterranean Route, with some 181,000 migrants crossing from Libya to Italy in 2016. In March 2017, EU leaders issued the Malta Declaration, which sets out the EU’s commitment to assist Libya, with a strong focus on capacity building. This includes training, equipment and support for the Libyan national coast guard and other relevant agencies, as well as seeking to ensure adequate reception capacities and conditions in Libya for migrants, including through working with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organisation for Migration. The migration crisis is being driven variously by war, political instability, corruption, economic deprivation and human rights abuses. These need to be addressed in a holistic and strategic way incorporating immediate and long-term measures, both of which are part of the EU’s ongoing migration strategy. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland contributed to the debate on the rule of law in Poland at the General Affairs Council Meeting on 16 May 2017; if so, if he specifically addressed and spoke out against the threat to the rule of law; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
- Darragh O'Brien. * For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 23rd May, 2017. Ref No: 24408/17 REPLY The Commission outlined its concerns and informed the Council on the state of play of its dialogue with Poland on the rule of law at the General Affairs Council on 16 May last. The Commission remains convinced that dialogue is in principle the best way to resolve this issue. The EU is a community of shared values including the Rule of Law. In his intervention, the Minister of State for European Affairs Dara Murphy, TD, along with Ministers from a number of other Member States, supported the Commission on the importance of the Rule of Law and urged renewed dialogue between Poland and the Commission so that a solution may be reached. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of the efforts being made by his department to secure the release of a person (details supplied) currently being detained without trial; the efforts being made by him and his department to ensure this person is being treated in a fair and humane manner and that their human and legal rights are being upheld; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
- Darragh O'Brien. * For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 23rd May, 2017. Ref No: 24274/17 Ibrahim Halawa REPLY This consular case continues to be a top priority for the Government and very substantial resources and time are being devoted to it. In light of its exceptional circumstances, this case has had an extraordinary degree of high-level political engagement, investment in terms of person-hours, consultation with third parties worldwide, and consular visits and trial monitoring. The Government has made repeated and strong representation to the Egyptian authorities to release this Irish citizen and return him to Ireland without delay. Both the Taoiseach and I maintain open lines of communication with our Egyptian counterparts on this case. As known, the Government has secured a commitment from President el-Sisi that this citizen will be returned to Ireland once the trial process concludes. Officials from the Embassy were present in the court in Cairo again for the latest hearing in this person’s court case on Wednesday, 17 May. At that hearing, the presiding judge invoked new legal powers to speed up the trial and announced that only 18 more individuals, identified as priority witnesses by the defence lawyers, will take the stand. The judge has said that every effort will be made to ensure that all of these are present in court for the next hearing. Because Ramadan is about to commence, and it is customary for the courts not to sit during the holy month, the next hearing has been scheduled for 4 July. Reports about this citizen’s health are a matter of the utmost concern to the Government. The Government took the unprecedented step of making arrangements for an Irish medical doctor, nominated by the Chief Medical Officer, to visit him in prison and to undertake an assessment of his health. The Embassy in Cairo has been following up urgently on these issues. Our Ambassador paid a further consular visit to this citizen in prison on 7 May. The visit provided a good opportunity for a discussion on the full range of issues relevant to the case. Our Embassy has been monitoring this person’s welfare since his detention and on every occasion where allegations of mistreatment have been made, the Irish Embassy has followed up without delay with the relevant Egyptian authorities. I can also confirm that the Irish Embassy has submitted a formal request on this citizen’s behalf for him to be transferred to another prison. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the progress that has been made to date in 2017 in accepting unaccompanied minors from the now dismantled Calais camp as agreed to in a motion passed by Dáil Éireann; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
- Darragh O'Brien REPLY. As the Deputy will be aware, the Government committed to taking up to 200 unaccompanied minors (UAMs) from France who were previously resident in the migrant camp at Calais. On foot of the Government Decision, Tusla - The Child and Family Agency, which comes within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Katherine Zappone, T.D., launched the Calais Special Project (CSP). This is being led operationally by their Separated Children Seeking Asylum team. It is important to note that all of the unaccompanied minors that have been identified in cooperation with the French authorities as suitable for relocation to Ireland have been accepted into Ireland and provided with the appropriate supports. Under this initiative, I understand that 21 young persons have been relocated to this jurisdiction, of which 19 are currently in the care of Tusla and 2 have been reunited with family members living in Ireland. Decisions regarding numbers and dates for any future missions in respect of unaccompanied minors previously resident in the Calais camp are matters for Tusla to determine in cooperation with the French authorities and the best interests of the child is central to this partnership process with the French authorities. Tusla officials and members of An Garda Síochána carry out the interviews with the young persons to minimise the time required and to avoid any unnecessary duplication of effort. It should be noted that, from an immigration perspective, I have determined that programme refugee status will apply in these cases. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons, including unaccompanied minors, that have been accepted here under the resettlement and relocation programmes, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
- Darragh O'Brien REPLY. Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (David Stanton) As the Deputy will be aware, the 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 this programme, the Government has pledged to accept a total of 4,000 persons into the State. A breakdown of how this 4,000 will be taken in across the various mechanisms through which the programme is being delivered can be found in Table 1 below. Table 1: Table of Total Numbers under Government Decision on the IRPP Relocation Strand Numbers Council Decision 2015/1523 600 Council Decision 2015/1601 2,022* Total Relocation 2,622 Resettlement Strand Government Decision 09/06/15 520 Government Decision 06/07/16 260 Government Decision 29/11/16 260 Total Resettlement 1,040 Total Unaccompanied Minors Calais (Government Decision 10/11/16) 200 (up to) Mechanism as yet undecided 138 Grand Total 4000 *Of the total of 2,022 under Council Decision 2015/1601 - 910 have yet to be assigned to either Italy or Greece by the EU Commission. Arrivals to date As of the 15 May 2017, the numbers of persons that have arrived under both the programme refugee resettlement strand and the relocated asylum seeker strands of the programme are set out below in Table 2 and Table 3 respectively: Table 2: Resettlement Programme Refugees Total People Adults Minors Age 0-4 Age 5-12 Age 13-17 779 362 417 120 230 67 Table 3: Relocated Asylum Seekers Total People Adults Minors Age 0-4 Age 5-12 Age 13-17 459 274 185 70 82 33 Further numbers will of course arrive under the relocation programme over the coming months. Full details on the two primary strands of the programme are set out below for the information of the Deputy. Of the 1,259 people who have arrived thus far under the IRPP (including unaccompanied minors), a total of 543 persons are now living in the community in various locations nationwide. It is expected that in the region of another 100 people will be housed within the community by the end of June 2017. IRPP officials are working closely with local authorities across the State and the Irish Red Cross to secure appropriate accommodation for those currently in emergency accommodation and all future arrivals. Resettlement strand of the programme Taking account of the situation in the Middle East, and the plight of the refugees, the Tánaiste announced that Ireland would accept 520 persons for resettlement over an 18-month period to the end of 2017. This was almost double the figure proposed for Ireland by the European Commission and was delivered a year ahead of the Commission deadline. In addition, the Government announced last year that it was extending the resettlement programme to take in a further two groups of 260 refugees (520 in total) from Lebanon in 2017 , most of whom are expected to be of Syrian origin. The first group of 260 have already arrived following a selection mission last October and a further mission to Beirut in late March/early April this year selected sufficient numbers to ensure the overall total of 1,040 is reached by the end of 2017. Relocation strand of the programme Despite initial delays outside of Ireland's control in respect of the operation of the 'hotspots' on the ground in Greece, Ireland has to-date taken in a total of 459 people from Greece under relocation. A monthly schedule has been agreed with the Greek authorities which will sustain the pace of intakes throughout 2017 at the levels required to allow Ireland to meets its initial commitments to Greece within the time frame envisaged by the Programme. Ireland has agreed to take up to 20 unaccompanied minors (UAMs) under the relocation aspects of the IRPP. Fundamentally, Ireland's capacity to take UAMs is determined by Tusla, the child and family agency. 6 UAMs (by the Irish definition) have arrived in Ireland from Greece under the programme. However, relatively few UAMs appear to be available within the cohort eligible for relocation and efforts continue to seek further transfers within this cohort. All UAMs that have arrived to-date are in the care of Tusla. As regards Italy, the relocation mechanism from Italy to Ireland has yet to commence due to issues with the Italian authorities surrounding the security assessment of migrants assigned to other Member States. Intensive efforts are ongoing to resolve this, both bilaterally with Italian counterparts at official, diplomatic and Ministerial level, and at EU level, including through the European Commission. The total target for relocation EU-wide in the two Council Decisions for relocation also includes an unallocated portion which in the case of Ireland amounts to 910 persons. These numbers have not yet been allocated as between Greece and Italy. It is understood that the European Commission are examining allocating this "unassigned" portion and if they do Ireland will immediately work towards relocating them. Calais Unaccompanied Minors In a further gesture of humanitarian assistance towards the most vulnerable caught up in the migration crisis and following a debate in the Dáil, the Government also committed to taking up to 200 additional unaccompanied minors (UAMs) from France who were previously resident in the migrant camp at Calais. The Child and Family Agency, Tusla, which provides welfare and protection services for unaccompanied minors who enter the State, comes under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr. Katherine Zappone TD. I understand that 21 young persons have been relocated to this jurisdiction to-date: 19 of whom are currently in the care of Tusla and 2 of whom have been reunited with family. Following the Dail resolution on unaccompanied minors who were previously in unofficial camps near Calais, Minister Zappone asked Tusla to put in place the supports needed to coordinate its role in this effort. Tusla launched the Calais Special Project (CSP) and this is being led operationally by their separated children's team. I would note that Tusla’s separated children team also care for unaccompanied minors who arrive on their own and those that are being relocated under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme. The French authorities have provided assistance in meeting with young persons who were previously in unofficial camps near Calais and have an interest in relocating to Ireland. Tusla officials and members of An Garda Síochána carry out the interviews with the young persons to minimise the time required and any unnecessary duplication of effort. Officials of my Department coordinate with colleagues in Tusla in relation to immigration matters, ensuring that the unaccompanied minors arriving in the State meet the terms of the Dáil motion, transit seamlessly through their port of entry and receive refugee status. Further information on the operation of this initiative can be obtained from Tusla or my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr. Katherine Zappone TD. The above initiatives therefore leave just a small residual balance to be allocated from the Government decision to take 4,000 persons. The Deputy will appreciate that there are many moving parts to such a programme given the large number of state bodies and non-governmental organisations and agencies involved at both national and international level and not all aspects are entirely within the control of my officials. Overseeing a programme that touches on virtually all aspects of the lives of 4,000 vulnerable people is also a hugely labour intensive operation. In these circumstances, I am satisfied that everything that can be done within my Department to ensure the Government meets its humanitarian undertakings under the programme is being done. The reason the State has not taken asylum seekers from Italy under the relocation programme24/5/2017
To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason the State has not taken asylum seekers from Italy under the relocation programme; the efforts that are being made to resolve this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
- Darragh O'Brien REPLY. Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (David Stanton) As the Deputy will be aware, the 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 this programme, the Government has pledged to accept a total of 4,000 persons into the State. The Deputy may wish to note that under the relevant EU Council Decisions the relocation strand of the IRPP is composed of three elements: an intake from Greece of 1,089 asylum seekers an intake from Italy of 623 asylum seekers and an allocation of 910 asylum seekers which has not yet been assigned to either Italy or Greece. Ireland will meet in full its commitment to Greece. However, as explained in responses to previous Parliamentary Questions tabled by colleagues, Italy, unlike Greece, will not permit security assessments to be undertaken by other States on its territory. Accordingly, Ireland has been unable to undertake security assessments on its territory of the asylum seeker cohort eligible for relocation to Ireland. It has therefore not been possible for Ireland to take asylum seekers from Italy. Intensive efforts are ongoing to resolve this, both bilaterally with Italian counterparts at official, diplomatic and Ministerial level, and at EU level, including through the European Commission. A solution may yet emerge from a recent meeting held in Rome between senior officials from Ireland and Italy. In terms of the unallocated portion contained in the two EU Council Decisions referred to above, which in the case of Ireland amounts to 910 persons, Ireland cannot access this component until a decision is taken at EU level to allocate these numbers as between Greece and Italy. It is understood that the European Commission are examining allocating this "unassigned" portion and if they do Ireland will immediately work towards relocating them. Ireland is doing everything it can to give effect to the EU relocation Decisions and what can unambiguously be said is that, should it be the case that despite all Ireland's efforts, the relocation mechanism does not permit Ireland to take in sufficient numbers of asylum seekers under relocation, then the Government commitment to take in 4,000 people remains and Ireland will take in these numbers through other mechanisms should this prove necessary. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the provision of a new secondary school for the Malahide and Portmarnock areas of County Dublin as announced in November 2015; if he has identified locations for the proposed schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY. As the Deputy may be aware, a project to provide permanent accommodation for a new 1,000 pupil post primary school is included on my Department's Capital Programme. Officials in my Department are liaising with officials in the relevant local authority in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the identification and acquisition of a suitable site for this school. Due to the commercial sensitivities relating to site acquisitions generally I am not in a position to provide further details at this time. The new school will provide a regional solution for the two areas referred to by the Deputy. It is intended that the new school will initially operate on a temporary basis in interim accommodation from September 2017. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the provision of a permanent site for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. (Details Supplied) Malahide/Portmarnock Educate Together National School
REPLY. As the Deputy may be aware, a project to provide permanent accommodation for the school in question is included on my Department's Capital Programme. Officials in my Department are liaising with officials in the relevant local authority in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the identification and acquisition of a suitable site for this school. Due to the commercial sensitivities relating to site acquisitions generally I am not in a position to provide further details at this time. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the provision of a new secondary school for the Swords area of County Dublin as announced in November 2015; if he has identified locations for the proposed schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY. Architectural Planning has commenced for the delivery of a new Post Primary School in Swords. A site has been identified and is currently at advanced conveyancing stage. Temporary accommodation is being arranged by the school patron, Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board. The school will open as scheduled in September 2017 in suitable interim accommodation pending delivery of the permanent school building. |
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