Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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362. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the working holiday application of a person (details supplied) will be progressed as a matter of urgency [23956/20]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm that the individual in question submitted an application for a Working Holiday Authorisation under the Ireland–Canada Working Holiday Programme, and that this was received by the Embassy of Ireland in Ottawa in early August.

Working Holiday Authorisations (WHAs) play an important role in building Ireland’s bilateral relations with Canada and a number of other non-European countries and regions with which we have reciprocal agreements, encouraging people-to-people contacts.

Due to the pandemic, we have temporarily ceased processing new applications under the WHA programme. The applicant was advised of this by our Embassy in Ottawa. Canada has likewise temporarily suspended the processing of applications. Our primary concern remains the health, welfare and well-being of those who would seek to travel to Ireland on a WHA. We do not expect that we will be in a position to process any further applications in 2020. Applications already submitted, including that of the individual in question, remain on file until operations resume.

We continue to monitor the rapidly evolving situation here, in Canada and in other relevant locations abroad, in terms particularly of public health advice, travel restrictions, job opportunities and the availability of short-term accommodation. We will instruct our Missions abroad, including the Embassy in Ottawa, to re-open the application processes when circumstances allow young people to benefit from a working holiday here and to fully experience Ireland’s culture and way of life. We will also take account of the resumption of Canada’s working holiday arrangements. We will make a public announcement when we begin to process new applications.