The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ms Liz O'Donnell, has renewed her call for asylum-seekers to be given the right to work following the announcement that a limited number of applicants who are parents of children born in the State will be granted work permits in the coming weeks, writes Joe Humphreys.
Ms O'Donnell said: "It is still our view that it is quite wrong to deny people the dignity of work. The procedures have not improved as yet as far as the speed of processing applicants is concerned. This reality has to be dealt with. "
She said the decision by the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, on Tuesday to grant work permits to some 700 asylum-seekers whose children were born here did not represent a step forward as these people were already entitled to work.
However, she said she was "taking solace" in the decision of the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, to seek to introduce new legislation on work permits for foreign nationals.
Reiterating his stance against granting asylum-seekers the right to work, Mr O'Donoghue said by this time next year all applications would be processed within six months. This would end the current situation where people were forced to live on social welfare for many years while awaiting a decision from the Department.
However, Mr Derek Stewart, the former chairman of the Irish Refugee Council, said it was unlikely that the Minister could meet the six-month pledge.