Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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565. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applications received, granted and refused respectively for labour market access permission for international protection applicants from July 2018 to date in 2022. [27296/22]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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566. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applications for labour market access permission made by international protection applicants from July 2018 to date in 2022 that have been refused; and the breakdown for the reason for refusal. [27297/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 566 and 565 together.

International protection applicants are not required to apply for an employment permit from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to legally obtain employment in the State.

The European Communities (Reception Conditions) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 52 of 2021) reduced the waiting period for labour market access for international protection applicants to 6 months and extended the validity of a labour market access permission to 12 months, with effect from 9 February 2021.

Applications for a permission are made to the Labour Market Access Unit (LMAU) of my Department. If the application is successful, a labour market access permission is granted, which is valid for 12 months from the date of issue and may be renewed until a final decision is made on the person's international protection application.

From 30 June 2018 to 1 May 2022, a total of 10,571 applications have been processed by my Department for a first labour market access permission. Of these applications, approximately three quarters (8,077) have been granted and 2,309 have been refused. A further 185 applications have been deemed closed. Currently 453 applications are pending. The pending figure includes renewal applications, applications which have not yet reached the 6 months criterion, and those where the return of requested supporting documents is awaited and may therefore ultimately become granted applications.

A total of 4,568 people granted a permission have returned an LMA5 form to my Department to indicate they had become either employed or self-employed.

Regarding those applications that have been refused. The reasons for a refusal may fall into five categories, namely:

5 months has not elapsed since the individual’s application for international protection was made;

a final decision has been made on their international protection application;

the individual’s actions or inaction has contributed to a delay in the making of their first instance decision on their protection application;

a first instance decision has been made within 6 months; or

the individual does not have an open application for international protection.