Noel McCarthy (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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544. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if there are any instances whereby an international protection applicant would be considered for early labour market access ahead of the six-month eligibility period, such as sponsorship by a prospective employer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35202/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 230 of 2018), international protection applicants can apply for labour market access permission if are fully cooperating with the IP process. While an application for labour market access can be made five months after the IP application, permission will only be granted once an applicant has waited six months from the date of their international protection application.

The Labour Market Access permission allows the applicant access employment and self-employment and is valid for 12 months. The permission can be renewed until a final decision is made on the person's international protection application.

There are no circumstances where an applicant can be granted a Labour Market Access Permission before the 6-month eligibility period and there are no plans at this time to amend the 6-month waiting period.

From February 2024 the process of applying for Labour Market Access for International Protection applicants has moved to a new online application process. The new system has provided a more streamlined process and shorter processing times for all renewal and first-time applications.

The current processing time for applications is less than 4 weeks.

Any queries in relation to a person's eligibility or otherwise for a labour market permission can be directed to: Lmauqueries@justice.ie

More information and further details on labour market access permission is available here: www.irishimmigration.ie/my-situation-has-changed-since-i-arrived-in-ireland/labour-market-access-permission/

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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545. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the assessment that is made of the socio-economic impact of placing large-scale, single-gender IPAS centres in smaller communities; and whether local schools, GP practices and Gardaí are consulted in advance of such placements. [35229/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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550. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the safeguards in place to ensure a balanced gender and age profile in IPAS centres, particularly in smaller towns; and whether his Department has assessed the community impact of accommodating large cohorts of single adult males. [35234/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 545 and 550 together.

The State is currently accommodating almost 33,000 people who have applied for international protection in Ireland, almost 9,500 of whom are children. The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) provides accommodation in over 320 centres around the country.

From 2022 to 2024, this demand-led system had to grow rapidly, by almost 400%, as a result of a sudden and sustained increase in people applying for international protection (IP).

Given the profound pressure this placed on the accommodation system, it was not possible for the State to apply formal dispersal criteria on a geographical basis during this period. However, IPAS centres are successfully operating in every county in Ireland, in a range of different settings.

The Department receives regular offers of accommodation from external commercial providers and does not predetermine their geographical location. All offers of IP accommodation are reviewed by the Department under a standardised appraisal procedure.

Factors in the appraisal of IP accommodation include the site and its potential, the value for money it offers, planning matters and any works required to meet the required standards.

Consideration is also given to the location and locality, access to services, resident welfare, health and well-being, and the current level of need in the sector.

The Community Engagement Team (CET) was established in late 2023 to engage directly with elected representatives, local authorities, community members and service providers, in advance of a new centre opening.

Access to wider public services such as health and education services for IP applicants is set out in Irish and EU law, and this is planned for and provided by the HSE, the Department of Education and other cross-Government services.

As such, IPAS and the CET are in regular contact with NGOs, Community Fora, local services, the HSE, Education services, An Garda Síochána and others, to help prepare for a new centre and new arrivals.

The team also supports information sharing through a dedicated email service for queries from local groups about new and existing centres. Since its establishment, the CET has worked through the openings of over 130 IPAS and Ukraine accommodation centres. Some of these have involved a simple sharing of information through the relevant channels, while others have involved more detailed meetings with local community groups, local officials, public representatives and other key stakeholders.

There have been many consistent examples of meaningful and productive engagement, and service providers and elected representatives around the country demonstrate ongoing support for our work and for our residents.

In relation to larger State-owned sites, the model of engagement has been developed to plan for more meaningful dialogue to support these larger centres, particularly those on state-owned lands being developed under Government policy to move away from dependence on commercial providers.

As part of the Programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland’s Future, there is a commitment to expand the work of the CET to provide for detailed discussions with communities and to plan more effectively for delivery of increased public services.

As part of wider commitments within the Programme for Government, the overall goal is to reform and improve the overall international protection process, to ensure that we can curtail the need for ongoing growth in the accommodation system.