Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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490. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the average processing time for atypical working scheme applications during the period 1 July 2022 to 31 January 2023, by month, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6503/23]

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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491. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will consider providing additional resources to prioritise the processing of atypical work permits, as well as the other work permits, stamps, NMBI registration, and so on, that overseas nurses and doctors require to take up employment in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6504/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 490 and 491 together.

The Atypical Working Scheme (AWS) was established in 2014 to facilitate the recruitment of locum doctors operating via agency for short term periods (6 months) who could not be facilitated by the Employment Permit system as agency work is not supported by that route.

The Department of Justice, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive (HSE) agreed that the AWS would include nurses and/or midwives who come to the State to undertake the Clinical Adaptation and Assessment programme or a Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) examination.

The Department of Justice remains in regular contact with stakeholders in both the Department of Health and the Health Services Executive regarding the requirements of the health sector in the State as facilitated by the Atypical Working Scheme, however workforce planning in this regard remains a matter for those entities.

It remains open for any individual intending to work as a doctor in the State to secure a longer term permission on that basis via the Employment Permit system operated by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, rather than the shorter term Locum services provided by the Atypical Working Scheme.

Further information relating to employment permits can be found on that Department's website, www.enterprise.gov.ie.

It should be noted that the stated minimum processing time required under the terms of the Atypical Working Scheme is 20 working days. The average processing times for AWS permission, for the period requested is available in the below table:

*Statistical information for the month of January 2023 is not yet available.

The staffing levels in the Atypical Working Scheme Unit of my Department are kept under constant review and additional staff have been assigned to the team, as required.