James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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108. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason asylum seekers cannot begin work immediately on the granting of asylum seeker status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4432/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Access to the labour market for international protection applicants is provided for under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 230/2018), amended in 2021 by the European Communities (Reception Conditions) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 52/2021) which reduced the waiting period to be granted labour market access from 9 months to 6 months. The validity of the permission was also extended to 12 months from the date of issue. The permission may be renewed until a final decision is made on the person's international protection application.

Applicants are eligible to apply if:

• They are an international protection applicant; and

• They have waited at least 5 months from their “Application Received” date for their first instance recommendation; and

• They are cooperating with the international protection process – delays in receiving a recommendation must not be attributable to the applicant.

Following that, a person will be issued a permission for labour market access if, at 6 months, they have not yet received a first instance recommendation.

My Department has undertaken a qualitative and quantitative study of the experiences of international protection applicants in accessing the labour market, which will inform any future policy developments in relation to labour market access for international protection applicants.

The report is currently being finalised with a view to publishing it in due course.