Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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830. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of people who are currently in the IPAS system and working. [47877/25]

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 they 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.

Providing reception conditions – accommodation and other basic supports – to people seeking international protection is part of Irish and EU law. People are entitled to accommodation for the duration of their applications for international protection.

The State is providing accommodation to almost 33,000 people who have applied for international protection, in over 320 centres nationwide.

Data on IPAS Accommodation residents and their employment status is not collated by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) in the manner requested by the Deputy.

My Department is developing a proposal for a contribution to cost scheme for people in international protection accommodation, in particular where those applicants are entitled to work.

This proposal will consider options to require adults who are in receipt of income and are living in IPAS accommodation, to make a contribution to their accommodation costs. Work has been done to examine similar schemes operating in other EU member states

My officials have engaged with a range of partners across Government Departments, including Revenue, the Department of Social Protection, and with stakeholders in the private sector, the NGO sector, and within the wider public sector as part of this work. A proposal for Government to review is expected to be progressed in 2025.