Vol. 535 No. 3
67 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of work visas issued to applicants from outside the EEA area under the measures announced by her in June 2000; her views on the low level of take-up; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12197/01]
In the period from the beginning of June 2000 to the end of March 2001, 2,556 working visas and work authorisations were issued. These include 1,241 information and computing technologies professionals and technicians, 237 construction professionals and 1,078 nurses.
There has been a steady increase in the number of working visas and work authorisations issued in all three of the sectors covered by the scheme in the operational period to date. While a total of 173 were issued in June 2000 this had risen to some 436 by March 2001.
The State has been advertising the existence of the scheme through the FÁS jobs fairs and it was given very considerable publicity at its inception. It is my Department's experience that employment agencies are well aware of the existence of the new arrangements and details are available on my Department's website and the website of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
I should stress that while FÁS does advertise vacancies through its website and jobs fairs abroad, the decision to recruit people is made by individual employers, both in the public and private sectors. The new system facilitates the entry of the prospective employees.
This facility applies only to personnel recruited from outside the European economic area. The figures do not reflect personnel recruited from within the EEA.
