Ukrainian refugees in Ireland - Megathread

11-05-2022 11:30AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119045606#Comment_119045606

Meanwhile, my relative still in a hospital bed as HSE are awaiting Garda Vetting since March for the carer they have ready to start work. For some unknown reason, the HSE would send her out to my relative when she was employed by the agency without this Garda vetting but not if they employ her.

Im having a crap week, sorry, the whole system is fucked and NOBODY is accountable.

iamwhoiam · 11-05-2022 11:58AM

Its not entirely my decision to make as my siblings are also involved but I think we will be giving up too . Its just not worth the hassle with the Red Cross now

I will be e mailing our TDs with my reasons and the absolute báls that was made of this . Nearly 20k pledges and apparently only 600 Ukrainians in pledged houses to date

unfortunately its a bit late for us to take someone now from FB as we had 6 months to offer but two and half months wasted all ready

So much for have all equipment for a baby plus clothes and toys etc . A real shame

Varik · 11-05-2022 12:07PM

In the NGOs benefit that this didn't work, can't have people giving something for free when they can make money off it.

Fandymo · 11-05-2022 12:11PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119045606#Comment_119045606

I process Garda Vetting in work and for my local football club. Everyone has to pass the 100 point check. If your daughter and family members don't have to do it, they are not being properly vetted.

From (https://vetting.garda.ie/Help/FAQ) How will Relevant Organisations verify the identity of a person?

In order to establish your identity for vetting purposes, an individual must provide documentary proof of each of the following:

Valid Photographic ID to include name and date of birth
Evidence of current address. (Statements from store cards/catalogue companies or Mobile phone bills are not acceptable)

Please note the following;

Evidence of address provided must be dated within 6 months of the date of application
The name on the photo ID must match the name on your proof of address.
There is no requirement on any individual to produce any specific document to prove their identity.

The Garda National Vetting Bureau is aware that establishing identity can be difficult for some people. In order to assist individuals and relevant organisations as they endeavour to establish the identity of vetting applicants, the following 100 point check is an optional personal identification system which may be utilised by individuals and relevant organiations to verify identity for Vetting purposes.

When conducting Garda Vetting, organisations could require vetting subjects to present identification totalling 100 points to ensure they are checking the correct person. At least one form of photographic evidence must be gathered.

Fandymo · 11-05-2022 12:14PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119045667#Comment_119045667

1) Garda Vetting is not transferrable. That is not a HSE issue. I'm Garda vetted for my job, have to be vetted again separately for the football club.

2) If they are waiting since March then they must either 1) be foreign and AGS cannot confirm their identity yet or 2) they have something in their file, could be as little as a traffic offense and a risk assessment needs to be carried out or 3) it could be a mix of both.

11-05-2022 12:27PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119045854#Comment_119045854

My point of it being done by zoom. All family members need to attend the meeting & this isn't really possible with 4 adults coming & going. A large proportion of pledged beds are from people in their golden years that never heard of Zoom. It's usually not this difficult for any of my family to be Garda vetted. It is more work getting vetted by the Red Cross & the system they have in place. They could have started our vetting 2 months ago. It's pushing people down the Facebook route & no vetting required. I genuinely regret signing up to Red Cross. I'm going Facebook now & I could have done this 2 months ago

Fandymo · 11-05-2022 12:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119045934#Comment_119045934

It's a lot easier than everyone having to attend an Authorised Person, i.e. Solicitor/Justice of Peace, seperately with their documentation, paying for them (€10 a pop if you get a decent skin of a solicitor) to stamp and sign them stating that they have seen the original and sending them to be processed by an overwhelmed Garda Vetting officer.

I'd love if people were able to do it via Zoom. Would make my job a lot easier.

11-05-2022 12:31PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119045873#Comment_119045873

Tbh it could just be an excuse that I’m being given. I know the lady as she lives local. She’s Irish and has been working for many years as a home carer so her vetting must pass the test. She still is doing agency work but just can’t sign her contract with HSE. Why would you need to be duplicating vetting?

Fandymo · 11-05-2022 12:33PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119045955#Comment_119045955

To ensure that no one has been brought up on charges recently. You also have to be vetted every three years now even within the same role. It's a pain in the arse for me.

iamwhoiam · 11-05-2022 12:33PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119045946#Comment_119045946

The point made by Sleeper is that it should have been done two months ago

Now people who pledged with the Red Cross are sick and tired waiting around and are going it alone with no vetting

Its a complete shambles . We have a vacant fully furnished house offered two and half months ago and are now pulling out due to the total lack of communication and efficiency

Fandymo · 11-05-2022 12:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119045965#Comment_119045965

It takes time to set up etc., I doubt there were Vetting officers sitting around sucking their thumbs the last 2 months. There are huge backlogs in Garda Vetting. Confirming documentation over Zoom is highly irregular, so 2 months is well ahead of a normal Irish person being vetted. I'm sure they also needed to know how many children would arrive into Ireland too.

airy fairy · 11-05-2022 12:41PM

Are refugees Garda vetted, or similar?

It would be both a risk to place any refugee in a home setting without something, and a risk for refugees in a communial setting like a hall etc, surely something is done?

Fandymo · 11-05-2022 12:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119045992#Comment_119045992

Garda vetting, in this sense, only applies to people living/working with vulnerable adults or children.

iamwhoiam · 11-05-2022 12:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119045973#Comment_119045973

Refugees dont have “ time “ for this nonsense . A task force with experience should have been put in place to sort out this mess . Its just not good enough to leave people hanging in Limbo for two months . How many have been vetted so far ? How many have been housed ?

Do you think its ok to leave people who offered homes and rooms and houses with no communication at all for weeks on end and then a quick phone call to see how speedy their broadband is ?

Fandymo · 11-05-2022 12:44PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119046000#Comment_119046000

Everything should have happened yesterday. Welcome to the real world buddy.

11-05-2022 12:47PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119045996#Comment_119045996

In fairness if a family with young children offer to take in refugees both of them should be vetted. There doesn't seem to be protection set up for the host family. It's very one sided

iamwhoiam · 11-05-2022 12:48PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119046008#Comment_119046008

I am not your buddy . Two months is far too long to wait for an email to let you know they actually received your pledge

Fandymo · 11-05-2022 12:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119046025#Comment_119046025

Cool, let them know and I'm sure they'll have it sorted in time for the next war.

Spoiler Alert: they won't.

11-05-2022 12:56PM

It has really shown up the snail pace we do things in Ireland

Fandymo · 11-05-2022 01:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119046115#Comment_119046115

Has anything ever been planned long term, or come in on time and on budget in Ireland??

11-05-2022 01:11PM

That's no excuse

Fandymo · 11-05-2022 01:14PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119046275#Comment_119046275

It's not a excuse. It's the reality of this country.

Beasty · 11-05-2022 01:41PM

Finally making some progress with our pledge. Was given contact details of someone at Fingal County Council. They had not received anything from the Red Cross about our pledge (although they had received plenty of others). Someone needs to go out and check safety (smoke alarms and the like), then the Peter McVerry Trust will be in touch. Sounds like they have identified a family currently split between 2 hotels. It would be a perfect opportunity for them to establish themselves and then hopefully other relations/friends can join them as and when they arrive in Ireland (no details of any at this stage, but I think part of the process will be for the Trust or Council to ask the refugees about other potential occupants)

It's clear to me the Red Cross simply do not have the resource or indeed expertise to handle this. The Irish refugee Council have the expertise but are woefully short on resource. The first call I made on this was to the Council and it should probably have been handed over to them early on with allocation of numbers to different counties. They know the local landscape and they have full time employees that can be diverted onto something like this. I don't know how many full time employees a charity like the Red Cross has, but they would be dealing with a lot of the humanitarian aspects of this crisis, which is likely to be higher up the priority list than medium to long term accommodation

11-05-2022 03:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119045606#Comment_119045606

If the shoe was on the other foot, would you feel the same? Say you’re a mother with two daughters, aged 6 and 10. The family you’re assigned to is all male, with two teenage boys, not siblings. Would you really be happy going into that house with no security or background checks done?

zell12 · 11-05-2022 03:53PM

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/may/11/ukraine-refugees-who-enter-uk-via-ireland-may-be-sent-to-rwanda-mps-told

'Undocumented people who travel from the Ukraine to the UK via Ireland could be considered for removal to Rwanda, a senior Home Office official has told MPs'

11-05-2022 03:58PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119047139#Comment_119047139

Say I have a young family myself. I can't get Garda vetting for the refugees I'm letting into my home. I'm taking the same risk remember.

I haven't a problem with Garda vetting although through Facebook I'll be bypassing it. My family & extended family have been through Garda vetting before. Lots of childminders in my family. None of them had to jump through the hoops to get vetted that the Red Cross is demanding. They never had to wait 2 months for the process to start. After vetting there has to be a home inspection. They have to pair us up with suitable family. We're looking at another month before we get to help the refugees going through the red cross. What finished me off was I don't know how many other hoops they expect us to jump through the next month. I had minor heart surgery last week & I'm not really into the stress caused by the Red Cross. Facebook is simpler & quicker

11-05-2022 04:11PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119047263#Comment_119047263

I wish you a full and speedy recovery. Take care of yourself first.

airy fairy · 11-05-2022 06:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119045996#Comment_119045996

Are children and adults from multiple families, living in a communial setting at risk from unvetted adults in their living setting then? For all people know there could be those with unsavoury pasts living amongst them.

Likewise, Ukrainian adults joining families here should also be vetted. Just because they bring children on tow, male or female, does not make them 'safe' to be in the presence of other children and adults.

I cannot believe people here, hosts, are being asked to be Garda vetted, yet those entering homes could be bringing any past with them.

Fandymo · 11-05-2022 06:57PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119047764#Comment_119047764

How do you vet someone from, say, Marupol? That’s been destroyed and has no police at the moment? How long do you think it would take to vet every refugee??

11-05-2022 07:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119047764#Comment_119047764

The simple reason is that it’s impossible to check the refugees. The best that can be done is accept their passports as identification. It is a risk, but host families have the right to veto prospective tenants. If they’re not happy, or feel uncomfortable, then they have the right to say no. It really worries me that refugees are willing to move in with total strangers off Facebook. There already have been reports of unsavoury characters along the Ukrainian border offering shelter to innocent refugees.

This is worth a read. https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/ukraine-refugees-care-5760673-May2022/

Ukrainian refugees in Ireland - Megathread

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