Leo Varadkar, the Taoiseach, has expressed his deep worry over youngsters who are seeking refuge being made to sleep on the streets, reports RTE.
He promised to speak with Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman about the issue.
“We shouldn’t forget that Ireland, just in the past couple of years has provided accommodation for about 100,000 people, refugees from Ukraine, and people seek International Protection from around the world,” he said, reports RTE.
The Department of Justice refers unaccompanied International Protection applicants who assert they are under the age of 18 to its team for separated children seeking International Protection, according to a statement released by the State’s child and family agency Tusla.
“An assessment is carried out by Tusla social workers to assess the eligibility of the applicant for services under the Child Care Act 1991. The intake eligibility assessment allows Tusla to establish if the person is a child in need of care and protection,” reports RTE.
It added: “If there are doubts that the person referred to the service may be an adult, the benefit of the doubt principle is applied, and the young person is accommodated by Tusla, until the eligibility process is completed. If at this point, the young person is not deemed eligible for services under the Child Care Act 1991, they are referred back to International Protection Services,” reports RTE.
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