Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The current position is that an asylum seeker must be in the process for nine months before he or she can apply for work. That seems a long time. People go through the process in approximately 14 months, or in more recent cases ten or 11 months. They will almost have passed through the system by the time they can seek a job. In many cases the work they are looking for is low-skilled employment, perhaps working in hotel or the leisure industry. The employers in that sector tell us they cannot get staff. I do not see why that nine-month rule is in place. Could the Ombudsman have any influence in respect of that? Are there circumstances in which that could be shortened and this could be dealt with in a better manner?