I want to discuss the Medevac programme. I am raising this issue because of serious concerns for the Palestinian families who have been brought to Ireland by the Department of Health as an act of solidarity in the face of the genocide. I want to focus specifically on seven of the Palestinian families who are now living in Kilkenny. Before agreeing to relocate from Dublin in late June, these families were explicitly reassured by the Irish Red Cross that school places would be secured for all school-aged children and that transport arrangements would be made ahead of the new year. I contacted them on 3 July and I was given assurances of this.

These assurances were crucial because the families had already experienced serious delays around education while living in Dublin. Some children waited three months for school places and others up to eight months, while some parents had to secure the places themselves and some children never got school places at all. These families did not want this situation to reoccur once they moved to Kilkenny, and the Red Cross assured them that it would not. Yet here we are, ten weeks since the school term started, and the majority of children still are not in school.

The children were originally given school places at the start of September, which was fantastic, but they were allocated the wrong years for their age group. It took around six weeks for this issue of the incorrect allocation to be resolved. Even then, siblings have been allocated to separate schools. One mother was offered places in four different schools so she has four kids going to four different schools. Two months in, she has no school transport options for her children and no way to get them to school. We have children with school places living in an isolated location with no public transport connections and no transport provision by the Red Cross, so they are effectively unable to access those school places. Their parents are worried about the fact their children have remained out of education for so long.

Education is a human right and I am appalled that these children have been so badly let down in this regard. Education is also crucial for many Palestinians, particularly given the scholasticide that has taken place in Gaza and the destruction of so many educational institutions. Under the Medevac programme, these families were promised education and they were promised integration, but they have not been provided with either.

These children have survived a genocide, displacement and serious medical trauma. Their parents relocated to Kilkenny on the explicit understanding that their children's education would not be further delayed. Instead, they are still out of school. Ironically, they are out of school while their cousins and friends in Gaza are attending school in makeshift tents. It is perverse that we cannot get them into school in Ireland.

I ask the Minister of State to provide clarity on a number of matters. Will these families be allowed to stay where they are located so they can start putting down roots in their communities and give their children a chance to integrate, learn and access education? I particularly acknowledge the hard work of Kilkenny LEADER Partnership, the local integration team in the county council and the volunteers in Kilkenny and Dublin. Effectively, they have become caseworkers. Of their own volition they have been organising transport and advocating for medical transport for these incredibly sick children. Independent volunteers are securing school places and supporting integration. This is work that should have been done by the Irish Red Cross as the agency responsible for implementing the medical evacuation programme, but that is not what has happened. The generosity of volunteers should complement a properly functioning support system and not replace it.

These families came to Ireland believing they would be treated with dignity and compassion in a country that rightly prides itself on its solidarity with Palestine but they feel completely abandoned by those with responsibility to support them. It is extraordinary and deeply distressing that people who have come to Ireland for safety feel so severely let down. That will have long-term consequences for these children. They are already facing mental health challenges and developmental issues. Access to education could help and support them in this regard but they have not been provided with this opportunity. Will the Minister of State intervene to ensure that every child has an appropriate school place and reliable school transport options as soon as possible? Will she ensure the families have immediate access to the medical and practical support they need to meaningfully integrate in their communities? Will she provide clear written assurances about the families' ability to continue living where they are in Kilkenny so their children can integrate and have a stable education?

I thank Senator Stephenson for raising this important matter and for providing an opportunity to update the House on the Palestinian families who have come to Ireland under the medical evacuation programme. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. Senator Stephenson can be assured that the Government remains committed to ensuring these families receive the support they need, not only in terms of healthcare but also in relation to education, accommodation, transport and integration into Irish society.

To date, 27 families have arrived in Ireland under the programme. Of these, three families are in short-term accommodation provided through the Irish Red Cross, a further 15 families are in transitional accommodation and nine families have now moved into long-term housing arrangements with leases in their own names. There has been progress. The three families in short-term accommodation are expected to transition to longer-term accommodation by the end of this year. These families are living in communities throughout the country, including Donegal, Kilkenny, Dublin, Louth, Meath, Roscommon, Sligo and Galway. The aim has always been to secure accommodation that meets each family's medical and practical needs while supporting their long-term independence.

With regard to education, I am pleased to inform the House that all 68 school-age children who have arrived under the programme have been successfully enrolled in schools. However, there remains a significant challenge that is affecting 16 children living in Kilkenny. While all of these children have secured school places, their attendance has been delayed due to outstanding school transport arrangements. These services fall within the remit of the regional education and language teams, known as REALTs. The Irish Red Cross and a number of partner organisations have repeatedly engaged with the relevant authorities to secure the required transport support. I understand that a further meeting with the relevant stakeholders is scheduled to take place shortly and I will obtain the date for Senator Stephenson. Importantly, no similar barriers to school attendance have arisen for children living in other parts of the country. This has happened only in Kilkenny.

In addition to the children's education, support is also available for adults seeking to continue their learning. A number of parents have enrolled in English language courses, while at least two adults have independently secured places in higher education. Transport continues to be sorted through the Irish Red Cross for all medical evacuation patients attending healthcare appointments, particularly those travelling to Dublin for specialist treatment.

Integration remains a central objective of the programme. Supports are tailored to each family's individual circumstances and needs. All families are linked with the local area integration teams and relevant community organisations. As the Senator said, there is that contact with all the different community organisations. Regular in-person visits are conducted and each family has a dedicated case worker who maintains regular contact and provides ongoing support.

The Government remains committed to working closely with the Irish Red Cross, local authorities, schools, community organisations and all relevant agencies to ensure these families receive the supports they need, particularly in connection with their medical treatment, and can rebuild their lives and integrate successfully into Irish society. I again thank the Senator for raising this very serious issue.

As the Minister of State pointed out, enrolment does not mean anything if a child has no transport to school. I understand that the REALTs are responsible for securing those school places, but, as I mentioned, there was a miscommunication with the Irish Red Cross and the wrong school places were provided. Here we are now ten weeks further on. That is deeply unacceptable. I do not know where the blame lies, nor do I care. The fact is that these children remain out of education.

I have had significant back-and-forth contact with the Irish Red Cross. My first email about the school places was sent on 3 July. I have also been emailing back and forth since early September about these school places. I cannot understand why it has taken so long. It took six weeks to secure the places and we still have no transport options. I believe only one child continues to receive transport support to the hospital. Medical transport was provided for the first four weeks of the placement, but I do not believe it is there any more. There has been an expectation that seriously ill children would be taking public transport to hospital and their medical appointments. Volunteers have been put in the position of having to advocate for medical transport.

All these integration measures sound very nice, but I do not see them happening. I have visited the families, been to where they live and seen the isolation. Some of these children have been in Ireland for a year and a half and cannot speak a word of English because they are not going to school. Young children pick up languages fantastically quickly. We are failing these children by not enabling them to integrate, meet Irish kids, go to school and feel they belong and are at home here. Instead, they are kind of hidden away and not getting access to the basic services. This is a core component. Education is a human right. Education and integration, as well as medical support, were promised under this programme, and we have been failing to provide them. I am seriously concerned about it. I hope we can work together to get this over the line because we are coming into the Christmas term and the kids are not in school.

I will look into the issue of the children going to hospital for treatment. I will come back to the Senator on that. I fully recognise the concerns raised today about school transport for the children living in Kilkenny. While school enrolment has been achieved, children must be able to attend school without unnecessary delay. As I said, all the different Departments must work together, including health and education. It is about everybody working together. That is why this is so important. The Government shares these concerns. We cannot have families in a situation where they are unable to access bus transport to school.

It is important that I acknowledge the work of the Irish Red Cross, the local area integration teams, schools, local authorities, community organisations and, in particular, the volunteers who work tirelessly to support these families. I will come back to the Senator on this issue. The Government remains committed to ensuring these families can access the healthcare, education, housing and integration supports they need. We will continue to work with all relevant agencies to address outstanding challenges and help these families access their medical treatment. I assure the Senator that I will report back on the issues she has raised.