THE PROCESSES AROUND assessing the age of unaccompanied minors that arrive into Ireland are to be discussed in a joint paper between the Department of Justice and the International Protection Office (IPO) at a meeting next week.

The chief executive of Tusla, Kate Duggan, told the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today that there has been a 500% increase in the number of unaccompanied minors entering the country in the last two years. 

The committee was told that in 2022, 597 unaccompanied minors arrived into the country, of which 261 came from Ukraine, while in 2023, 527 unaccompanied minors arrived, of which 177 were from Ukraine. 

Last week alone, Duggan said there were 115 separated children (also known as unaccompanied minors) being accommodated in emergency accommodation provided by Tusla.

Duggan said 96% of them were over 16 and they were predominantly male.

Chairperson of the PAC Brian Stanley questioned officials about concerns about the documentation or lack thereof in some cases that minors had when arriving into the country and how the age of the person is verified. 

The Acting Chief Social Worker at the Department of Children and Integration, Des Delaney said the issue of age assessment processes and measures that are to be put in place is currently a matter being discussed between departments.

His department, along with the Department of Justice and the IPO have held a series of meetings on the matter, he said.

“We are looking at that specific process,” he said, adding that the Department of Justice and the IPO are presenting a paper for review to the group next week.

“We are making considerable progress in relation to the issues raised in terms of age assessment,” he added. 

“Fundamentally, what we need is the interagency piece,” Duggan said, stating that there have been days when seven, eight or nine unaccompanied minors “turn up in our office”. 

Stanley asked what happens if it cannot be established that the unaccompanied minor is under 18. 

Delaney said that is forming “part of the work that we are doing with the IPO” and what measures will be taken will be discussed at the meeting next week.

Duggan said Tusla is facing a challenge in terms of determining age, stating that when young people arrive into the airport, the first step of screening is with the IPO, which determines the age of the young person.

“Where they believe that the child may be a minor, they revert to Tusla. So, we have seen a significant increase in the number of people that are being referred where, because of the nature of the documentation that has been presented, it’s very difficult for us to determine if they’re eligible,” she said.

“We have to make sure that anybody that we suspect may be over 18 isn’t placed in an arrangement with anybody under 18.

“So we have had to establish separate units where anyone who, you know, there’s a concern about their age, that they’re placed in a different unit,” she said.

The PAC chairperson said:

“We need to be helping the ones that are genuine and we can’t have the ones that are genuine in a system that is too loose and that isn’t rule-based.”

He added that Tusla has been handed this issue, stating that there should not be a “laissez faire attitude” towards unaccompanied minors arriving here from Ukraine, adding that the issue should be raised with the Ukrainian embassy.

Tusla officials said Ukraine is a much lower driver now of separated children and unaccompanied minors, with the majority arriving from Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea. 

“Those children who are genuinely children who arrive unaccompanied, we have to help them, that goes without saying,” Stanley said.

He expressed concern that young people who were not minors were being put on planes to Ireland and arriving at Tusla’s door.

“It is a crisis situation you [Tusla] are trying to deal with and it is causing problems,” he said.