I thank the Deputy. The redress scheme will open on 20 March. All Deputies and Senators will have received the briefing on it today and there will be further briefings with more details on 20 March. As for the ongoing engagement with the religious orders, I have been very clear that they have a moral obligation to make a contribution in the way the State is. Sheila Nunan is engaging with these orders and she has procured some financial services support in terms of being able to undertake an analysis and an understa…

-----but that work is ongoing. I do not have a specific date for the Deputy today but the work is ongoing.

As the Taoiseach outlined in the House last week, the Government’s commitment is to sign the optional protocol during its term of office. Last August, my Department commissioned external legal advice to see where exactly we were non-compliant with the protocol and on what areas we needed to work. That legal advice will be coming to my Department in the next number of weeks. It is nearly completed. When I get it, I will bring a memo to the Cabinet setting out where the legislative changes needed in my Department and…

Since I came into office, we have debated the issues of migration, immigration, international protection and the war in Ukraine extensively in this Chamber. We have done it through statements, oral questions and Leaders' Questions. Those debates have been robust and informative. This is entirely appropriate. We are in the midst of one of the greatest humanitarian exercises and responses we have ever had to undertake as a State in terms of meeting the needs of 100,000 people who fled to this country over the last ye…

I thank Deputy Browne for his ongoing advocacy on behalf of Stephen and his family. As he knows, home support services are provided to both children and adults with a wide range of disabilities, from physical and sensory disabilities to intellectual disabilities and autism. The home support service for children with disabilities assists the child with various activities and supports parents. Currently, more than 3 million home support hours are delivered to almost 7,200 people annually. I am advised by the HSE that…

I thank the Deputy. As he said, he has raised this matter a number of times in the Dáil, for which I thank him. I also thank him for his acknowledgement of the work that HSE staff and section 39 staff are doing with Stephen's family. It is important we do that. As I stated, the HSE provides a range of assisted living services, including home support services, to support individuals to maximise their capacity to live full and independent lives. Home support services are provided either directly by the HSE or through…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and for offering me the opportunity to respond directly to him. IPAS is currently accommodating about 27,000 people in more than 200 accommodation centres throughout Ireland. Of these 27,000 people, 5,914 have been granted status. Under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018, those who have had their applications determined are no longer entitled to material reception conditions. IPAS continues to provide accommodation to those with status, while s…

The Deputy has outlined his reading of the law and I respect that. I do not have the EU legislation, the primary or the secondary legislation, before me right now.

I have no doubt he could. I do not need him to; I will be able to get them myself. I thank him for the offer. We will examine the point he has made. On the wider point, the Deputy is absolutely right; there is real pressure with providing accommodation for people arriving here, including many highly vulnerable people seeking international protection here. We also want to support those whose cases have been decided to move on through the process. We have put in place important steps to streamline that process to pro…

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Order in draft; Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2024, a copy of which was laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 25th January, 2024. I thank the Members of Dáil Éireann for making time to discuss this motion today concerning the order I propose to make to extend the termination date of the financial contribution scheme for hosts of beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine, which is known as the…

I thank Deputies for their contributions. As provided under the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022, the draft order laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas cannot be made law until a resolution approving the order has been passed by each House. Therefore, approval of the motion by the Dáil today is essential to ensure the continuation of the scheme. As I said in my opening contribution, it is certainly my understanding of the legislation that we cannot make the change proposed by Sinn Féin via a motion…

What I said to Mick Finnegan on behalf of survivors on Thursday when I met with him, and what I have said to the Oireachtas joint committee subsequently, is that I am frustrated by the lack of progress on protection and a child safety lead in the organisation. To expedite that and to ensure we can have protection for the young people who continue to work in St. John Ambulance, the Government will step forward and make a contribution for the first year towards the cost of that role and, importantly, link that to an …

I thank the Deputy for his engagement, the Drogheda Deputies for theirs and all the Louth Deputies on this. There was communication with them and with the local authority. Absolutely, however, we need to make sure we have the supports in place for a significant number of vulnerable people in family groups who will be using the D Hotel as their accommodation. Our Department will work, for example, with the Department of Education and the local education and training board through the REALT system in the provision of…

I thank the Deputy for his engagement on this issue over the past week. We are examining the potential of undertaking dual use of the D Hotel. There are challenges to that, particularly where a hotel is hosting families. That was the proposal with regard to the D Hotel but we are examining that. I can confirm I will meet the Drogheda Business Improvement District and the Drogheda and District Chamber to discuss their concerns about the impact on tourism.

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and Members of the Seanad for making time to discuss this motion today concerning the order I propose to make to extend the termination date of the financial contribution scheme for hosts of beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine, known as the accommodation recognition payment, ARP. This scheme commenced in July 2022 and, where relevant, payments were backdated to March of that year. I increased the monthly payment to hosts from €400 to €800 with effect from 1 December 20…

I thank the Senators for their contributions. Senator Seery Kearney reminded us that we are having this discussion as a result of the dual crises that Ireland and all other European countries have had to deal with through the past two years, namely, the impact of the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the humanitarian impact in terms of the largest migration of people across the European Continent since the Second World War. In the context of the pressures everyone has spoken about here today, we should not …

I have asked to meet Helping Irish Hosts to engage with and hear from its representatives directly. I welcome the huge support it has provided. A substantial proportion of Ukrainians living in Ireland are living in homes around the country and it has been a valuable support to the Government. I would be supportive of looking at the model used there in other areas, perhaps the Irish refugee protection programme or even people in international protection with status. There are options there. It has worked well. That …

I thank the Deputy for raising this point. He raised it with me beforehand. I am aware of the article the Deputy spoke about. Whenever a childcare, early learning or after-school care service closes, it is a deeply traumatic time for children and parents. That being said, a significant number of early learning and after-school care services have opened in Cork in the past year. I will write to the Deputy so the figures he spoke about can be put in context. Concerning next steps, a significant capital scheme is avai…

It was 600.

It is a significant number.