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International Protection

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 September 2020

Wednesday, 9 September 2020

Questions (242)

Catherine Connolly

Question:

242. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice if the waiting period for labour market access for those in the international protection process will be shortened from nine months to three months, as recommended by the advisory group on direct provision in June 2020; if the validity for permission to work will be extended to one year at a time renewable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22815/20]

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Written answers

The European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018, transposing the EU (Recast) Reception Conditions Directive, came into effect from 30 June 2018. The Regulations include a provision on access to the labour market for eligible international protection applicants. Any applicant who has not received a first instance decision within 9 months can make an application for a labour market access permission.

If the application is successful, a labour market access permission, once granted, is valid for 6 months from the date of issue and can be renewed until a final decision is made on an applicant’s international protection application. There is no time limit or obligation for a person to seek employment while holding such a permission.

The permission expires immediately if the applicant gets a final negative decision. If the applicant is still awaiting a first instance decision after the expiry of the six month period, the permission may be renewable.

The Advisory Group chaired by Dr Catherine Day, established in late 2019, to advise on the development of a long-term approach to the provision of supports including accommodation to persons in the international protection process, is expected to report before the end of this month.

The intention, as stated in the Programme for Government, is that my colleague, the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, will publish a White Paper by the end of this year, informed by the recommendations of the Advisory Group, which will set out how a replacement to the Direct Provision system will be structured and the steps to achieving it.

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