Robert Dowds
Question:76. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation the timeline for his review of the Employment Permits Acts 2003 and 2006. [43982/12]
View answerThursday, 11 October 2012
Questions (76)
Written answers
My Department is currently preparing new legislation, the purpose of which will be to consolidate and streamline the Employment Permits Act 2003 and the Employment Permits Act 2006. It is anticipated this legislation will:
- update provisions for the employment permits schemes in line with policy and economic developments since 2007;
- provide the flexibility to deal with changing labour market, work patterns and economic development needs which often require rapid response; and
- cater for the accession of new Member States to the EU.
My Department is also actively considering the issues raised in the recent High Court judgement in relation to unlawful employment contracts. In that regard, my officials are currently considering the important policy and legal implications of this judgement in the area of employment permits and employment rights and are developing options in this regard.
In tandem with this, my Department is conducting a review of its employment permit schemes in the context of simplifying employment permit applications and streamlining the application process for the important ICT sector. The availability of high-level ICT skills for the ICT sector is of strategic economic importance to Ireland in terms of continued growth and investment. However, recruitment challenges have emerged for high-level ICT skills. While increasing the supply of high-level skills from domestic sources is the most sustainable way forward in the long term, in the short term, companies will continue to need inward migration as a source of skilled ICT personnel.
My Department, in conjunction with Forfás, will shortly be reviewing the Green Card Employment Permit Scheme which is used by Ireland to meet labour market requirements where skills shortages have been identified by reference to analyses undertaken by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN).
Work is proceeding with regard to the preparation of new Employment Permits legislation. Heads of Bill were approved by Government last April and since then, my Department has been engaged with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel (OPC) in order to progress the drafting of the Bill. My Department is currently considering a second draft and expects to revert to the OPC shortly with a view to achieving a third draft as soon as possible.