Enda Kenny
Question:61 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans he has to take any new initiatives to permit asylum seekers obtain employment pending the determination of their application for asylum. [3271/01]
Written Answers. - Asylum Applications.
Alan Shatter
Question:152 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans he has to take any new initiatives to permit asylum seekers obtain employment pending the determination of their application for asylum. [26914/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 152 together.
I refer the Deputies to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 88 of 15 November, 2000.
The Government, as an exceptional measure, agreed on 26 July 1999 that those asylum seekers who had been in this country for more than 12 months, who were still awaiting a final determination of their application for refugee status and who had been compliant with their obligations as asylum seekers should be given the right to seek work. The arrangement applied to those who sought asylum here up to 26 July, 1999, as soon as they crossed the 12 months threshold.
In December 1999, the Government decided to remove the requirement that an employer must obtain a work permit before employing asylum seekers covered by the 26 July, 1999 Government decision.
The Government also decided that each eligible asylum seeker should be issued with a letter confirming entitlement to work for presentation to potential employers and my Department arranged accordingly. To date, over 2,600 such letters have issued.
As I previously informed the House, it is not proposed to allow asylum applicants who are not covered by the aforementioned July decision to take up paid work pending a final decision being made on their applications.