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Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation

Adults placed in Tusla units

Summary

Deputy Tóibín condemned adults being placed in Tusla residential units and cited a serious alleged murder case; the Tánaiste described the issue as urgent and pointed to age verification amid rising unaccompanied-minor numbers.

Placing an adult in a Tusla residential unit is a very serious breach of child protection. Aontú has raised this issue a number of times with the Government and we have been told that the Government is doing everything it can to make sure that it does not happen. We are being told that the immigration services know exactly who is coming into the country and that checks are being done. Vadym Davydenko was a Ukrainian boy who was placed in a residential care unit very recently. The suspect in that alleged murder was also placed in that residential home. We now come to understand that the suspect was an adult. Today it has emerged in a report that 192 adults have been placed in children's residential homes in the past three years. This is an incredible figure.

It has been reported to me by people who are working within the sector that not enough work has been done on the documentary research to find out the age of an individual and not enough work has been done on the scientific research to be able to pinpoint an individual's age. Is it not the case that in many instances the State does not know the age of the individual or, indeed, the identity of the individuals who are coming into the country?

Comment on this
Simon Harris The Tánaiste Fine Gael

Deputy Tóibín raises a very important and very serious issue. We have seen a very large increase of about 500% - that is the figure in my mind - in unaccompanied minors presenting. I am sitting beside the Minister of State with responsibility for migration, Deputy Brophy. It is a reality that an increasing number of people are now travelling by themselves and they present to the international protection office as minors without any family members. Age verification is an important part of the international protection application process. The Government had a meeting with Tusla on this just this week. The age identification process and the possibility that people presenting as minors may not be minors presents significant child protection issues. The Deputy is correct that it is an area of concern. These concerns are being addressed with the new statutory scheme now being set out in the international protection Bill, which will be introduced into these Houses very soon. The new legislation will set out in far greater detail how age is to be assessed, which I think is the core of the Deputy's point, by a multidisciplinary team. It will also provide for regulations governing the standards, qualifications of personnel and so on for the purpose of that process. We have different views on the EU asylum and migration pact but, as required by that pact, the Bill would also make provisions for the appointment of representatives to assist and safeguard the interests of unaccompanied minors.

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