Seán Barrett
Question:149 Mr. Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures she will put in place to reduce the waiting time for work permits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26698/00]
Written Answers. - Work Permits.
In the first six months of this year the average monthly number of applications for work permits to employ non-European economic area nationals received by my Department was about 1,420. This represented almost a trebling of the numbers received during the same period in 1999.
In order to deal with the increased volume of applications a number of measures were put in place earlier this year including the allocation of three additional staff, procedural simplification and overtime working in the work permit section of the Department. However, the volume of applications received by the Department has continued to grow rapidly, particularly since mid-summer, resulting in an increase in the processing period to six weeks in September. The average number of applications received each month has now risen to over 2300.
A range of further streamlining and organization initiatives are now being taken to speed up the processing of applications and, together with the resumption of overtime and Saturday working, the processing period has now been reduced to about four weeks. In order to deal with the increasing volume of applications, sanction has now been obtained from the Department of Finance for an additional ten staff for the work permit section of the Department.
Ivor Callely
Question:150 Mr. Callely asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will advise of her Department's requirements when an employer makes application for work permits; the aspects of such requirements that have been reviewed recently; her views on the difficulties employers experience across the board to obtain required employees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26435/00]
Ivor Callely
Question:179 Mr. Callely asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she has satisfied herself with the procedures in her Department with regard to applications for work permits to employ non EU nationals; the other measures that can be taken to speed up the process and make it more user friendly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26437/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 150 and 179 together.
In general my Department is prepared to issue work permits for the employment of non-European economic area nationals in the State where an employer can demonstrate that, despite prior attempts, they have been unable to recruit a suitable Irish or other EEA national for the jobs concerned. It is also, obviously, necessary that the relevant labour law requirements are met in respect of the job concerned, for example compliance with minimum wage levels, maximum hours of work permitted, etc.
In addition, the relevant immigration require ments must be satisfied in relation to the non-national in respect of whom the permit is being sought. Permits cannot, for example, be issued in respect of an individual who is in the State illegally or no longer complies with the conditions under which he-she was admitted; has been asked by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to leave the State or is in the process of being deported or was in the State illegally and has been deported or has left the State having been asked to do so by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform; has entered the State specifically on the basis that he or she will not be taking up employment, for example, visitors, students or tourists; or is seeking employment with a non EEA employer who is operating in the State without business permission from the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
I am well aware of the difficulties being experienced by employers in some sectors in filling vacancies and that is why the Government, on my initiative, earlier this year introduced a new simplified work visa-authorisation scheme in respect of information and computing technologies, construction professionals and registered nurses. This new scheme makes it possible for prospective employees with job offers from employers in Ireland to obtain immigration and employment clearance in advance from Irish embassies and consulates abroad and to come here to work for a period of up to two years.
I have also set up an advisory group, representative of the social partners, Departments and the development agencies, to keep this scheme under review and to advise me in relation to the requirements of the labour market on an ongoing basis. I should add that, in so far as work permits are concerned, my Department has experienced a huge increase in the number of applications received this year. In the first ten months of this year over 15,000 permits have already issued compared with a total of 6,200 for all of last year.
In order to deal with the increasing volume of applications, sanction has now been obtained from the Department of Finance for an additional ten staff for the work permit section of the Department. In the interim it would be prudent for employers to engage in an appropriate amount of forward planning when proposing to recruit from outside the European economic area.