Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 230 of 2018), persons are eligible to apply for labour market access permission 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. This permission is valid for 12 months and may be renewed until a final decision is made on the person's international protection application.

When a person is granted a refugee status, they no longer need a Labour Market Access permission. At this point they are given a Stamp 4 immigration permission which allows them to work.

The table below details the number of both first time and renewal labour market applications received and granted by my Department between 2021 and 2023*.

Year	2021	2022	2023
Total Labour Market Access Applications Received	5,080	9,155	12,828
Total Labour Market Access Permissions Granted	4777	6386	10,200

*Figures are subject to data cleansing. Please also note that an application granted in any year may relate to an application received in a previous year.

**2023 Total Labour Market Access Applications Received are preliminary figures as applications are still being processed and are therefore subject to change.

The Deputy may also wish to note that when an applicant has their IP application finalised during the validity period of their permit, the permit is no longer valid.