Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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29. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of applications received to date in 2019 for work permits for chefs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26951/19]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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31. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the average time it takes to process an application for a work permit; the number of applications received in 2018; the number refused and granted; her plans to streamline the process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26950/19]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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35. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of applications for employment permits received in each month to date in 2019; if the applications are from trusted partners or standard; the number of reviews carried out in each month for both categories; the numbers approved and refused each month; the waiting list for processing applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26957/19]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 29, 31 and 35 together.

As the economy improves and we approach full employment my Department has experienced a high volume of employment permit applications which has led to delays in processing applications. At the end of May 2019 there was a 16% increase in the amount of applications received (7,407 applications received) over the same period in 2018. At the same time there has been a 53% increase in the amount of applications processed (7,353 applications processed) compared to the same period last year, clearly demonstrating that productivity is improving. It is anticipated that this month, June 2019, will be the busiest month for processing applications in more than 10 years.

In 2018 my Department received 16,768 permit applications granting 13,398 and refusing 1,384. The average length of time it has taken to process an employment permit application to date in 2019 is 37 business days. To date in 2019 my Department has received 370 employment permit applications for chefs of which 268 have issued. At the end of May 2019, there were 2,436 permit applications in the processing queue, down from a peak of 3,230 in September 2018.

Employment Permits section is working to reduce the current waiting times of four weeks for Trusted Partner applications which accounts for 71% of total applications and twelve weeks for Standard applications , accounting for 29% of applications.

To reduce processing times, the Employment Permits section has introduced a number of operational changes, streamlined processes and implemented ICT solutions. Additional staffing resources have also been assigned to the section and a fast track training programme has been devised and implemented . In addition an independent Business Process Reengineering Review for the Employment Permits section will commence shortly as a first step in the development of a new IT processing system which will take advantage of all the new technologies available, including full digitisation.

I can assure you that all available resources are being deployed with the aim of reducing processing times. My officials have been proactively engaging with customers to notify them of current delays through email, meetings and regular updates on the Employment Permits section of my Department’s website.

The statistics requested by the Deputy are attached.

* Reviews are not categorised by Trusted Partner / Standard Application Type