Written answers
Monday, 8 September 2025
Department of Justice and Equality
International Protection
Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1659. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will outline the criteria which hospitality accommodation providers must have met in order to apply to host beneficiaries of temporary protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46406/25]
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The need for accommodation for people affected by the war in Ukraine has reduced from the significant level of demand seen in preceding years.
As a result of this, my department is not currently accepting offers of accommodation from new providers in respect of the provision of commercial accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection.
When the portal for offers of commercial accommodation for BOTPs was open, providers were asked to assess the suitability of their accommodation offer against specific criteria. These guidelines are available at www.gov.ie/en/publication/44050-guidelines-for-temporary-accommodation-in-existing-buildings-for-those-fleeing-the-war-in-ukraine-single-persons-family-type-accommodation/.
Following this a detailed review of the accommodation offered was conducted by officials. The Department required all of the accommodation providers to provide the Services in accordance with good industry practice and in compliance with all applicable laws. These included all obligations in the field of health and safety, environmental, social, child protection, and labour law that apply at the place where the Services are provided.
Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1660. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 2140 of 29 July 2025, if the information regarding the number of people awaiting decisions in the international protection system in employment, by category of employment, in each of the past five years and to date in 2025, in tabular form, is now available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46408/25]
Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1661. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 2141 of 29 July 2025, if the information regarding the breakdown of those awaiting for decisions in the international protection system who are in employment; the number who are in employment which pays the minimum wage; the number in employment that pays between the minimum wage and the average industrial wage; the number that are in employment that pays above the average industrial wage in each of the past five years and to date in 2025, is now available, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46409/25]
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1660 and 1661 together.
Under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 230 of 2018), people 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.
The permission allows a person to access both employment and self-employment. They may work for most employers, however they are not permitted to be employed in the Defence Forces, An Garda Síochána, the Civil Service, the Public Service, or one of the other bodies listed in Schedule 6 of the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018.
The granting of a labour market access permission does not necessarily confirm that the applicant has found employment.
My Department does not have information regarding the type of employment international protection applicants are engaged in.
The table below details the number of labour market permission applications granted from 2021 to 7 September 2025.
| Year | First | Renewal | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 * | 6,765 | 7,822 | 14,587 |
| 2024 | 10,307 | 6,688 | 16,995 |
| 2023 | 7,805 | 2,296 | 10,101 |
| 2022 | 4,767 | 1,605 | 6,372 |
| 2021 | 1,334 | 2,559 | 3,893 |
**Data correct at time of issue and may be subject to data cleansing
The Deputy may wish to know that the Central Statistics Office recently published a report on International Protection applicants and employment activity which can be found here: www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/fp/fp-iaip/insightsonapplicantsofinternationalprotectionusingadministrativedata2024/.
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