Refugees likely to begin arriving before the year end

Ireland is ready to accept its first allocation of refugees “before the year end”, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald TD has just announced.

Minister Fitzgerald today attended an extraordinary Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in relation to the Migration Crisis.

“In the last month alone, I have formally indicated that we are ready to accept the first tranche of migrants on relocation and I am confident that they will arrive in Ireland before the end of the year,” Minister Fitzgerald said.

She continued: “Ireland has appointed Liaison Officers to Italy and Greece, nominated two experts in response to the European Asylum Support Office call for experts and the Department of Foreign Affairs has committed €3m to the Emergency Trust Fund for Africa. Real progress is being made and I am determined that this momentum continues.”