Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 7 September 2018
549. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if consideration is being given to adding chiropractors to the list of highly skilled eligible occupations (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36627/18]
View answerWhere 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 Eligible Occupations List (HSEOL) and Ineligible Categories of Employment List (ICEL) for the purposes of granting an employment permit.
Changes to access to the Irish labour market for specific occupations via the employment permits system are made on the basis of research compiled in the annual National Skills Bulletin and the annual Vacancy Overview Report, which is undertaken by the Expert Group of Future Skills Needs, the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SOLAS) and coordinated by the National Skills Council. This data, in tandem with a public consultation process which will involve the submission of evidence based cases for inclusion on, or removal from the HSEOL and ICEL, to the appropriate Government Department by sectoral stakeholders, will form the basis of the bi-annual review process.
Since a review of the lists completed in 2015, Chiropractors (who are members of the Chiropractic Association of Ireland) were removed from the Ineligible List and became eligible for a General Employment Permit. This permit type is the primary vehicle used by the State to attract third country nationals for occupations experiencing a labour or skills shortage and holders are eligible to apply for family reunification with the Department of Justice and Equality after 12 months.
My Department recently conducted a review of economic migration policies underpinning the current employment permits system and the report is due to be published shortly with a review of the lists of occupations for employment permits scheduled to commence in the Autumn.
In order to consider an occupation for inclusion on the HSEOL, there would need to be a clear demonstration that recruitment difficulties are solely due to shortages across the EEA and not to other factors. Organisations in the sector would need to provide the necessary data to substantiate their claim as part of a detailed evidence-based case which would be forwarded by the Department of Health as the lead Department for the sector, to my Department for review and consideration.
