Ireland’s support for Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion has exposed an “uncomfortable” official prejudice towards “white Christian” children, a former minister for equality has suggested.
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Labour’s education spokesman, said it was “demonstrably true” that a split has emerged in how the State treats children from Ukraine and refugee children who are neither white nor Christian.
Speaking before an Oireachtas committee on the needs of almost 7,000 Ukrainian children enrolled in Irish schools since the outbreak of Vladimir Putin’s war, Mr Ó Ríordáin insisted support should be universal.
“I wouldn’t want it to be said of the Irish system that we have one attitude for, let’s be blunt, white Christians on the edge of Europe and a different attitude for those who are not white Christians and not from the edge of Europe,” he said.
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“That is an uncomfortable sentence to have to utter. But if that is the underlying suspicion within the Irish education system and among practitioners, then it is a very troubling one.”
The former Minister for State with responsibility for equality and new communities also attacked the Department of Justice’s record in treating people fleeing to Ireland seeking protection from persecution.
Mr Ó Ríordáin said he came away from his role within the department believing it “isn’t fit” to deal with integration and was glad to see responsibility transferred to another Government department with a “much more humane mindset.”
Nonetheless, he said it was “demonstrably true that there is a dichotomy in what is now being provided to Ukrainian children and existing children in the protection system.”
“If we can provide a higher level of language support for Ukrainian children, then all children should benefit from that higher level of language support,” he added.
Nick Henderson, chief executive of the Irish Refugee Council, warned of a “tiered” system of education for refugees in Ireland, adding that provisions being made for Ukrainian children offered a “unique opportunity to remove barriers facing all refugees”.
“We must level up, not level down,” he told the Oireachtas committee on education.
Mr Henderon highlighted a declaration by Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris in recent weeks that he would bring a memo to the Government soon, seeking agreement for support for Ukrainian people who wanted to take up third level studies in Ireland.
Ukrainian students would not pay foreign fees and would be offered support equal to the grants on offer to Irish students, Mr Harris said at the time, as it emerged more than 500 people contacted a special helpdesk for Ukrainians seeking access to higher education.
These supports should be extended to other refugees as well, said Mr Henderson.
“This is an opportunity to support refugees from Ukraine, but also all refugees,” he told TDs and senators, alluding to the 1916 Proclamation that Ireland “must cherish all children equally.”
Nuala Ward, director of investigations at the Ombudsman for Children, noted of the almost 7,000 Ukrainian children enrolled in Irish schools, 146 had arrived in Ireland without any parents or guardians.
While extra language support was being put in place in 724 primary schools and 194 post primary schools, there was an urgent need for translation services to allow parents and guardians to integrate into school communities, she said.
Ireland is also obliged under United Nations convention to offer psychological help for as many as “thousands” of children arriving here who “may be suffering significant trauma,” Ms Ward added.
Clodagh Carroll, assistant director of children’s services at children’s charity Barnardos, said its bereavement service was working with hotel staff around the country to coach them in helping Ukrainian refugees staying in temporary accommodation.
Many have been “exposed to considerable trauma... fleeing war, death of a family member or parent, leaving their home, entering a new country,” she told the hearing.
“As they settle in Ireland, after basic needs like housing are taken care of, wider needs such as psychological well-being should be offered,” Ms Carroll said.
Children struggling to deal with huge disruption to their lives may be more sensitive or alert to their surroundings, constantly scanning their environment for threats, affecting their physical well-being and how they interact with others, she pointed out.