I wish to raise the atypical working scheme, AWS, and specifically the failure rate for employers applying via AWS by county, and I would be most grateful if the Minister would make a statement on the matter.

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. My Department and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment work closely together to ensure the arrangements in place to facilitate legal migration to Ireland for employment purposes are efficient, fair and responsive to the needs of our economy and society.

The atypical working scheme is one element of these arrangements and was developed by agreement between the two Departments. It facilitates specialised, highly-skilled employment of a short-term nature which is not supported by the main employment permit process, which requires longer employment undertakings. Generally, the contract periods which come within the scheme are for less than 90 days and include short-term contracts in the technology and financial sectors, for example, as well as in the entertainment and creative industries.

Following consultations undertaken with other Departments and Government agencies, certain other employment situations are also supported by the atypical working scheme.

These include locum medical professionals and nurses seeking to have their qualifications recognised here. The wider terms of the scheme are kept under ongoing review in consultation with relevant Departments and I am informed the maximum processing time for in-order applications is currently 20 working days. Unfortunately, statistics are not retained county by county. I will, however, forward to the Deputy a table of the overall number of applications dealt with and their outcomes for the period back to 2018. For illustrative purposes, a total of 6,438 applications were dealt with under this scheme in 2022, of which 85% were approved. Where an application is refused, it is open to the applicant to engage with the unit and submit a new application for consideration.

It remains open to any individual intending to work in this State to secure a longer term permission via the employment permit system managed by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

I thank the Minister of State and the officials in his Department for the changes made to the AWS to date. I welcome in particular the shortening to one month of the cooling-off period, which now means two AWS can be availed of in a 12-month period, and there is the ability to spread the 90 days over six months, supporting travel into and out of Ireland. As the Minister of State is aware, this scheme facilitates the many locum doctors and nurses who make up the significant shortfalls in our public health service because of the recruitment and retention crisis that exists there.

I was approached to raise this issue by Helen Downes on behalf of her fantastic team at Shannon Chamber. They have assured me that officials within the Minister of State's Department have been incredibly helpful in working with them, and they asked me to pass on their thanks. They have also requested that I ask the Minister of State if he might be in a position to meet with me and a delegation from the Clare Chamber at some point soon. I would be most grateful if the Minister of State would oblige this request. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit.

I thank the Deputy for her comments on the officials in the Department. This is a scheme that is constantly kept under review. Last year there was reform relating to those working in the sea fisheries sector as it moved over to the current system. The atypical working scheme unit within my Department has developed sector-specific training material to reduce the number of incomplete applications, for employers and for applicants, to ensure the applications meet the required standards. The unit continues to engage with all relevant stakeholders on the scheme's criteria and operation. Extensive training has taken place with stakeholders and recruitment agencies, and there has been very positive feedback from that. I am glad to hear the Deputy's positive feedback as well.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. The issue of Garda resourcing in County Clare must be raised again. As the Minister of State will be aware, Clare received the fifth lowest divisional influx of gardaí into its operational area since 2015. Only 51 gardaí have joined the force in Clare in that time. In 2022, only two gardaí were allocated to Clare, and no additional gardaí were provided in January of this year. A spate of antisocial behaviour at the Brú na Sionna complex in Shannon has escalated to a level that is simply not acceptable. This is according to Sergeant Seamus Mulligan, and I agree with him wholeheartedly. There are broken windows, verbal abuse, stones being thrown, cars being set on fire, and public urination. There was not one single extra garda allocated to the station there. In fact, Shannon has lost three gardaí since 2021. This is a community at crisis point and tensions are on a knife edge. The Minister of State has responsibility for justice. What will he do for the people of Shannon and County Clare?

The Government is committed to ensuring An Garda Síochána has the necessary resources for the entire country. Budget 2023 provides funding of €2.14 billion for An Garda Síochána. This is an increase of 38% since 2016. There is a planned recruitment of up to 1,000 additional gardaí this year. I am informed there will be 400 Garda staff as well, which will release gardaí from administrative duties and put them onto the front line.

The Deputy will be aware the Garda Commissioner is solely responsible for the administration of An Garda Síochána operational matters and the distribution of Garda members. I have no doubt the additional gardaí who are being recruited will be on the streets and we will see additional gardaí in every county.

As the next Deputies are not here, we will proceed to Question No. 42 in the name of Deputy Tully.