Vol. 526 No. 4
77 Mrs. Barnes asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the discussions which have taken place between her Department and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in relation to allowing refugees to be employed while their applications for asylum are being processed. [26687/00]
The position regarding asylum seekers working is as set out in the Government decision of 26 July 1999. This decision allows asylum seekers who had entered the country before 26 July 1999 and not had a decision from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform on their applications to seek employment as the waiting period on their applications passed a 12 month threshold.
I had hoped the Tánaiste would answer the question I raised regarding the discussions between her Department and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform following her comments that she believed that asylum seekers should be granted work permits after six months in the State. I would be grateful if she would respond to that question.
Non-nationals who are granted refugee status in Ireland do not require work permits. Why is the opposite not true – that when work permits are granted visas are still required? Does she accept that this is delaying the process for people coming into the country who have been granted work permits?
I do not understand the second part of the Deputy's question. My views on the rights of asylum seekers to work are well known. However, we made a Government decision in July 1999—
Another battle the Tánaiste lost.
—and the nature of Government and coalition Government in particular means that there is give and take, as Deputies on all sides know.
Some work well.
There is some compromise. That decision has now been implemented and approximately 2,500 asylum seekers are qualified to work and many of them are in employment, while others are being given pre-training at the FÁS centres in Tallaght, Ballyfermot and elsewhere. It is working very successfully. Those granted the right to stay do not require work permits; they have all the rights of Irish citizens. Visitors to the country from certain jurisdictions require visas, though not all, and we have rules for visitors whether they are tourists or workers. So far this year we have granted more than 15,000 work permits.
Will the Tánaiste bring this matter up again at Cabinet on the grounds of economic rationale? I put down a written parliamentary question earlier this week on the number of work visas issued to non-EU citizens. That number was approximately 16,000 last year.
Cheist, le do thoil.
Will the Tánaiste accept that, on the basis of economic rationale, it is illogical to allow applicants for work permits to enter the country while enforcing idleness on refugees and asylum seekers? People are set up in guest houses, bed and breakfast accommodation and hotels throughout the country. They are living in enforced idleness and are targets for—
A brief question, Deputy.
Will the Tánaiste accept that it is economic lunacy to force these skilled and unskilled people to live in enforced idleness while allowing visas to be issued to 16,000 people from outside the country? We could kill two birds with the one stone by promoting harmonious race relations and allowing these people to work. It also makes economic sense.
No country has an open door policy on immigration, and this country certainly could not have that. We could not say that once somebody arrives in Ireland, he or she automatically has the right to work if he or she comes here seeking asylum. None of us could desire that but after a reasonable period it is right that people still awaiting determination should be entitled to work and we made a decision in that regard. We have new legislation in this area and a commencement order will be made by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, if it has not already been made, which lays down strict new procedures in relation to this whole area, but we are now talking about the same kind of people. In relation to the 15,500 work permits granted up to yesterday for this year, they were granted to specific companies for specific people who have particular skills.
They are largely unskilled.
Please allow the Minister to conclude.
I would not say that.
I draw the attention of the Tánaiste to a case that illustrates the point and in respect of which I have written to her. I know she will reply to me soon. A young woman from Romania entered this country on 9 August 1999 and has been maintained in the conditions described by Deputy Creed since then, along with her husband who has a skill in the electronics area but who is afraid to use it in any fashion because it might damage their case to stay here. That young woman has been offered a job by a company that needs her skills and she has been told by the Department that if she goes back to Bucharest and applies from there for the work permit, it will happily give it to her and the company can fill this gap in skills.
The Tánaiste should have a word with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. He might know something about it.
Does the Tánaiste agree with me that situation is plainly daft? I know what the Tánaiste has said about the difficulties of being in coalition, and I have great sympathy with her, but we have visited this problem time and again. Surely we could visit it again and deal with this issue once and for all. Is it not daft—
The Deputy's time is concluded. I want to give the Minister and Deputy Naughten a chance to come in.
—that we have two young people who want to work, and companies who want them to work, yet they cannot get a permit?
Before the Tánaiste replies I will allow a final supplementary from Deputy Naughten.
It appears from a previous reply that discussions have not taken place between the Tánaiste or her officials and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, who is sitting beside her, or his officials in relation to reducing the period an asylum seeker has to wait before being granted a work permit since last July. Will the Tánaiste talk to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform about that, as it is Progressive Democrats policy? Also, what training is being put in place for asylum seekers who are waiting for their applications to be processed and who are not available for employment? In relation to people who have been granted work visas, some of whom still have to get an immigration visa, will the Tánaiste discuss the matter with the Minster for Justice, Equality and Law Reform with a view to streamlining this process so that if a work permit is granted, an immigration visa will also be granted.
In relation to the query raised by Deputy Rabbitte, I did not see his letter and it is my desire to facilitate that kind of commonsense approach. I will have a look at that case. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and I have had umpteen discussions about this matter. It is fair to say that when one only wins four seats in the election, one cannot get all one's own way.
Deputy Healy-Rae has only one seat.
He cannot decide whether he is for or against them.
In everything we have sought to do in this area we seek to be practical above all else. I understand that 99% of all work permit applications are now being granted and we are examining even more radical ways of expediting the way that might be done. The United Kingdom, for example, has devolved the authority to reputable companies. That is something we are considering to speed up the matter. We are streamlining the visa and work permit arrangements but there are security issues as well that we cannot ignore. Visas are not required for every jurisdiction but they are required for some. In relation to the new working visa, about a quarter of those who have got them have come from visa jurisdictions. Three quarters have come from countries where they do not require a visa.
Will the Tánaiste give a breakdown of the skilled versus unskilled?
