Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will not say that definitively because every case is assessed. However, an applicant in that situation, for the reasons I have outlined, is very likely to be granted leave to remain.

Senator Clifford-Lee also asked about subsidiary protection and the implementation of the International Protection Act. There is a huge amount of work ongoing on the Act so that we arrive at a point where what applies will be the provisions of that Act. That will happen towards the end of this year. As the Minister for Justice and Equality, I am happy to see the Ombudsman for Children go into direct provision centres and have communicated that position to him. I consider it the right thing to do in terms of the protection of children and am working on making it a reality. There is still an investment programme under way and I ask the Senator to write to me on the particular points she is making so that I can respond to her directly.

On the issue of work permits for chefs, I ask the Senator to take that up with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

A number of court cases on the application of EU treaty rights are ongoing and we must wait their outcome before further action is taken. Approximately 10,000 people from Iraq and Afghanistan have applied for Irish citizenship and are using EU treaty rights as the basis for their applications. There is huge demand and we have to assess carefully and examine the precise nature of those applications, including their legitimacy. As noted by the Senator, this falls under EU treaty rights as they stand at present.