Role of the Office of the Minister of State for Integration
The Office of the Minister of State for Integration has a cross-Departmental mandate to develop, drive and co-ordinate integration policy across other Government Departments, agencies and services. The Minister of State's functions include the promotion of the integration of legal immigrants into Irish society, the establishment of new structures for this purpose, the management of the resettlement of refugees admitted as part of the United Nations Resettlement Programme and the administration of funding from national and EU sources to promote integration.
Ireland adopts a policy of mainstream service provision in the integration area while recognising the need for targeted initiatives to meet specific short-term needs. Overall responsibility for the promotion and coordination of integration measures for legally resident immigrants rests with the Office of the Minister of State for Integration but, in general, the actual delivery of integration services is the responsibility of mainstream Government Departments.
The key strategies are:
- To develop integration policy in consultation with key stakeholders
- To co-ordinate integration activities in the public sector
- To provide funding to facilitate integration within available resources
- To support measures to combat racism
- To manage the resettlement programme under which persons in protracted refugee situations are transferred from the State in which they have sought protection to Ireland in conjunction with the UNHCR.
- To represent Ireland at EU and other international fora engaged in work within our area of responsibility
- To administer the European Refugee Fund and the European Integration Fund and a project under the European Social Fund.
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