Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 Feb 2002

Vol. 548 No. 2

Written Answers. - Work Permits.

Ned O'Keeffe

Question:

95 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position regarding an application for a number of non-European Union work permits submitted by a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [4764/02]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney)

Seventeen work permit applications in respect of this company (details supplied) were received on 28 January 2002. Assuming that the applications are completed correctly and are otherwise in order, processing time will take approximately 12 weeks from the date of receipt of the application.

The number of permit applications awaiting decision has increased from 1,900 on 1 January 2001 to 6,953 applications last December and is directly related to the increase in the number of applications being received. The backlog on 31 January 2002 stood at 5,529 applications. The number of work permit applications increased from an average of over 350 per week in 2000 to over 825 per week last year. The level of appli cations climbed during the year and in December alone, an unprecedented 5,690 applications were received. New procedures were introduced with effect from 2 January 2002 and this has resulted, at least temporarily, in a reduction in the number of applications received. The average number of complete and valid applications received for the month of January 2002 was 325 applications per week. While the staff numbers in the work permit section was increased by 50% last year in an effort to reduce processing time, the very large increase in applications meant that the waiting period could not be reduced. Nevertheless, the staff in the section issued 36,436 permits in 2001, compared with some 18,000 in the year 2000.