Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 23 Mar 2000

Vol. 516 No. 5

Written Answers. - Work Permits.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

121 Mr. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the extent, if any, to which her Department has attempted to match the skills of refugees and asylum seekers to current and future industrial employment needs; the number of these people who have been given approval for employment by way of work permit in each of the past three years; the number of applications for work permits before her Department and being processed on a weekly basis; the average number approved and rejected; the most common reasons for rejection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7683/00]

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

The number of work permits issued by my Department for the employment of non-European economic area nationals in the past three years were as follows:

Year	Total
1997	4500
1998	5700
1999	6200

The position in relation to refugees and asylum seekers is as follows. Non-nationals who are granted refugee status by my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform do not require work permits to take up employment with an Irish employer.

In so far as asylum seekers are concerned, the Government decided in July 1999 that those who had been in this country for more than 12 months and who were still awaiting a determination of their application for refugee status at that date, should be given the right to work, pending a decision on their case. Between that date and December 1999, when the Government considered the issue again, a total of 67 permits were either approved or issued by my Department in respect of eligible asylum seekers.

In December 1999 the Government considered the issue again and decided that in order to assist such asylum seekers in finding employment, employers should no longer require a work permit in order to take on such individuals. Instead they are now issued with a letter of authorisation or verification which they can present to potential employers when seeking work.

In so far as matching of skills is concerned I have arranged to have funds allocated to FÁS to set up a special unit to help eligible asylum seekers find employment in Ireland. There are approximately 2,500 asylum seekers currently eligible to work.

FÁS is at present recruiting 20 staff for the special unit. It will be mainly based in Dublin where the majority of asylum seekers reside. The main task will be to assess the skills of the eligible asylum seekers and to match them to available jobs.