Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 March 2004
206 Mr. Perry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the work permit application of a person (details supplied) will be reassessed in view of the fact that he has been offered employment and specialises in Malaysian cuisine; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7634/04]
View answerI am informed that applications for chefs in ethnic restaurants can be revisited depending on the circumstances of the proposed employer and employee.
My Department is quite happy to facilitate the development and expansion of the ethnic restaurant sector and I accept that it is quite reasonable to expect that this will involve the granting of work permits to an appropriate number of persons from what might be termed the source countries of the ethnic groups concerned. My Department has adopted a very liberal and generous approach in this area in recent years.
However, the Department is concerned that employers should fully explore the possibility of filling these positions from within the EU, where it is aware there are very large communities from the main ethnic groups who are active in the restaurant sector.
My Department is also concerned at the large number of applications from what are ostensibly new restaurants opening at familiar addresses, the number of chefs required by small restaurants and applications in respect of unqualified persons, all of which have to come from the ethnic source countries.
In future, these applications will be considered taking into account the following factors such as the size-seating capacity of the restaurant concerned, the overall number of staff envisaged, the ratio of chefs to ancillary staff, the proportion of EU nationals employed including those of the relevant ethnic group and the qualifications of those persons whom the employer intended to bring into the State on foot of a work permit.
