Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 July 2018
178. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if changes will be implemented to help the home care sector (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29760/18]
View answer181. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if the removal of healthcare assistants from the ineligible categories of employment listing will be considered in view of the staffing shortfall and expected growth in the industry as a result of demographic changes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29882/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 178 and 181 together.
At my request, my Department is currently conducting a review of economic migration policies underpinning the current employment permits system to ensure that our policies are fully supportive of Ireland’s emerging labour market needs, be they skills or labour shortages in certain sectors. The review is on schedule for completion with a full report due in the coming weeks. Following on from that Report, it is expected that a review of the lists of occupations for employment permits will be conducted in the second half of this year.
Where specific skills prove difficult to source within the State and wider EEA, an employment permit may be sought by an employer to hire a non-EEA national. The employment permits system is managed in part through the operation of the highly skilled and ineligible occupation lists for the purpose of grant of employment permits.
Changes to access to the Irish labour market for specific occupations via the employment permits system are made on the basis of research undertaken by the Expert Group of Future Skills Needs and, coordinated by the National Skills Council, the annual National Skills Bulletin and the annual Vacancy Overview Report in tandem with a public consultation process.
Care workers are currently included on the Ineligible Categories of Employment List (ICEL). In order to remove a skill from this list, there would need to be a clear demonstration that recruitment difficulties are solely due to shortages across the EEA and not to other factors such as salary and/or employment conditions. Organisations in the sector would need to provide the necessary data to substantiate their claims. A detailed evidence-based case for removal of care workers from the ineligible list, based on this detailed data would then need to be put forward by the Department of Health, as the lead Department for the sector, to my Department for review and consideration.
I am aware that my colleague, Minister of State Daly, with special responsibility for Older People, has had various meetings with the nursing home sector and this matter has been discussed. I understand Minister Daly is willing to work with the industry on this important issue to ensure continuity of service in the best interests of residents.
