LAST UPDATE | 18 Sep

CABINET HAS APPROVED a new plan brought forward today by Minister for Health  Stephen Donnelly to bring dozens of children from Gaza to Ireland for medical care. 

The move comes after months of behind the scenes work by the Department of Health, medical doctors, the Irish Red Cross and a number of other government departments including the Department of Foreign Affairs. 

Donnelly told reporters this morning that the arrangement will work on a “child-to-child basis” and is being coordinated alongside the Egyptian health ministry.

He explained that children from Gaza with terminal illness or adverse injuries as a result of the conflict in the region and who cannot avail of suitable treatment in Egypt will be brought to Ireland.

It will also be possible for the children, who will be accompanied by a guardian, to avail of international protection in Ireland if it deemed unsafe for them to be returned to their home in Gaza or residence in Egypt after their treatment, Donnelly said.

Approximately 30 children will be evacuated from Gaza to Ireland before the end of the year under the first phase of the scheme. The Minister for Health said the first children would be arriving in the “coming weeks”.

He added that 30 children will be brought to Ireland before Christmas and the Department of Health will then assess how the programme worked after the treatment has been completed.

Health minister Stephen Donnelly says kids from Gaza either terminally ill or who suffered injuries as a result of the conflict will be able to avail of medical attention in Ireland. The HSE will liaise with Egyptian authorities and the first patients will in the “coming weeks”. pic.twitter.com/uiLEZ95kR0

— Muiris Ó Cearbhaill (@muirisoc) September 18, 2024

While in Ireland, the children will be accommodated in the homes of healthcare workers. “The Irish Red Cross really played a fantastic role here,” Donnelly said.

“They’ve stepped up and they’re providing accommodation across the country for the 30 children as they come here.

“They’re small numbers, but any child who does come here would be fully entitled to to apply for international protection,” he added.

A number of severe medical conditions will be treated, including cancer, haemodialysis and patients with other severe medical conditions. Ireland will not be accepting any children with orthopaedic needs given the existing crisis with this service here.

“It could be children who’ve been injured by the Israelis. It could be children who have underlying conditions because the Israelis have destroyed their hospitals and their healthcare services can’t get that care in Gaza anymore.”

The children will be flown into Ireland by the EU and once in Ireland the National Ambulance Service and multiple other arms of the state will be involved in their care. 

The care package includes caseworker and translation services to ensure that patients and their carers are well looked after and are assisted with accessing the necessary services.

The HSE will also provide appropriate psycho-social assessment for patients and their carers.  

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin commended his party colleague and others from the medical community for drafting the plan put forward this morning. He said, though it’s a “modest” number of children, it will be impactful.

“I think it demonstrates the most fundamental solidarity of all humankind – you need to look after suffering children. I pay tribute to all involved in that particular initiative,” he said.

Apartment remediation scheme

Separately, Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien brough the draft heads of a bill on apartment remediation to Cabinet this morning which, once enacted, will cover costs for fire and safety changes needed to Celtic-Tiger-era apartments that were not built to appropriate standards.

The government approved the €2.5 billion scheme for owners of defective apartments last year but it will not be accessible until this legislation is in place. Up to 100,000 apartments are estimated to be eligible for the scheme.

Under the scheme, owners’ management companies will be funded to carry out the eligible remediation works. Provisions will be made for retrospective payment of eligible costs already incurred by apartment owners.

Cabinet were also be asked today to sign off on a new curriculum for preschool children.  The update will be the first since the existing curriculum, Aistear, was put in place in 2009.

Meanwhile, minister of state in the Department of Agriculture Pippa Hackett brought the National Organic Strategy to Cabinet today. The strategy sets out a roadmap to make 10% of all farming in Ireland organic by 2030.

Includes reporting by Lauren Boland