Letters are likely to be issued to 2,100 qualifying asylum-seekers next week, allowing them to look for a job and get a work permit.

The Tanaiste, Ms Harney, said the changes to the works permit scheme introduced in July have not yet been formally approved by Government. They will go to Cabinet "but they have been agreed by all the relevant ministers in the past couple of days".

She told Mr Pat Rabbitte, Labour's enterprise spokesman, that it was the intention to issue a letter to all eligible asylum-seekers who have been resident for more than 12 months.

"The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has agreed to do this. I do not believe there is any opposition to it but one never knows."

Under the scheme introduced in July, 2,100 had qualified to seek employment where a work permit is sought and a fee paid by the employer for the non-national job-seeker.

Ms Harney said she was seeking Government approval to remove the requirement for the employer to obtain a work permit. "Listed eligible asylum-seekers will be issued with a suitable identification letter which the employer can simply verify before offering employment."

However, only 90 applications have been received so far and 53 permits have been approved.

Mr Rabbitte said putting the onus on the employer to make the application for a work permit was undermining the entire system and it was "absurd" to have only 90 applications six months later.

Introducing the scheme was not an easy decision to make, the Minister said. Employers had told her asylum-seekers were afraid to give their names so "the simplest thing is to give all those who qualify a letter. Then they can search for a job and be granted a permit."

Earlier, the Tanaiste told Fine Gael's deputy leader, Ms Nora Owen, that she did not favour a "country quota system" for immigrants to deal with labour shortages. She said she did not want Ireland to "create a brain drain in developing countries".

Outlining plans for a new work visas scheme for non-nationals to come to the State for jobs, she said "we need to tie the new work visas to particular skills and have an open policy with regard to countries. However, I am anxious to ensure that central and eastern European countries and some developing countries, as well as places further afield, qualify under the immigration policy."

Ms Owen had asked if the Minister had carried out an audit of the skills base among the 2,000 asylum-seekers.