Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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365. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the length of time it takes international protection applicants to be interviewed and their application processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5458/24]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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366. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the length of time it takes for appeals against a decision to refuse refugee status or other permission to remain in Ireland to be heard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5459/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 365 and 366 together.

Over the course of the last year, the IPO increased the number of monthly determinations to over 1,000 in November 2023, and plans to deliver at least 14,000 decisions in 2024, an increase of 5,000 cases on the level achieved in 2023.

In November 2022, I signed a regulation to introduce an accelerated procedure for international protection applicants from designated safe countries of origin. These applicants now typically receive a first instance decision in less than 10 weeks. The number of applications from safe countries has fallen by 38% over the first 12 months of the operation of the accelerated procedure.

Overall median processing times first-instance decisions has reduced from 18 months in 2022 down to 13 months in 2023.

The median processing time for IPAT appeals was 5.5 months in 2023 down from 13.5 months at the start of 2022.

Reforms to the international protection process will continue in 2024. Approximately €34m was allocated in budget 2024 to the International Protection Office (IPO) and the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) to continue to scale up processing.

The Deputy may also wish to know that my Department has created a website to provide a detailed overview of the International Protection process in Ireland which can be accessed at:

www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/304ba-international-protection/

This site also provides detailed statistics and metrics in relation to processing of applications for protection. These statistics are published on a monthly basis.

www.gov.ie/en/collection/48a28-international-protection-in-numbers/

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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367. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality how many international protection applicants are working in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5460/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 230 of 2018), persons are eligible to apply for labour market access permission if:

• They are an international protection applicant; and

• They have waited at least 5 months from their “Application Received” date for their first instance recommendation; and

• They are cooperating with the international protection process – delays in receiving a recommendation must not be attributable to the applicant.

Following that, a person will be issued a permission for labour market access if, at 6 months, they have not yet received a first instance recommendation. This permission is valid for 12 months and may be renewed until a final decision is made on the person's international protection application.

Since January 2021 nearly 23,800 first-time applications and renewal applications have been received by the Labour Market Access Unit of my Department and nearly 21,400 have been granted.

Labour market access permission gives eligible applicants the opportunity to work and helps them to integrate into Irish society while providing for themselves and their families outside of the State’s directly provided services and supports. It also helps people to plan and prepare for their future in Ireland if they receive a positive decision on their application for international protection.

The granting of a labour market access permission does not necessarily confirm that the applicant has found employment. In total, since 2021 approximately 6,500 separate individuals have returned at least one LMA5 form, which records that they had found employment at some point over that time.

However, please note these forms are not always returned to the Department. Accordingly, it is not possible using Departmental records to set out the number of international protection applicants that have achieved employment status, or the number of such persons who are awaiting a decision.

I would note that where a person is granted refugee status or other permission to remain they no longer require a Labour Market Access permission to take up employment and instead are issued with a Stamp 4 immigration permission.