Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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34. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will review the prohibition on the right to work for asylum seekers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35418/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Section 9(4)(b) of the Refugee Act 1996 provides that applicants for international protection shall not seek or enter employment or carry on any business, trade or profession during the period before the final determination of their application.

The Deputy may be aware of the Government commitment to establish an independent Working Group to report to Government on improvements with the protection process, including Direct Provision and supports for asylum seekers. In advance of establishing the Working Group, I convened a round table consultation last week with non-governmental organisations active in the area to enable them to outline the key issues for them in relation to the State's current arrangements for asylum seekers and the Direct Provision system.