Tackling the labour shortage in the agri-food sector requires a multi-faceted approach. In the first instance, it is important that employers engage with the relevant services of the Department of Social Protection, namely Intreo and EURES. My Department, along with Teagasc and IFA, worked with that Department to organise a dedicated online jobs fair for the horticulture sector – Help2Harvest – for the past two years. The #Help2Harvest2021 Jobs Day aimed to assist employers to recruit jobseekers for seasonal and permanent horticultural roles in Ireland. The online event, while hosted on the EURES platform, was also targeted at Irish job seekers.
The sector has also made use of the employment permit system through a pilot scheme introduced in 2018. Employment permits can only be considered when all other avenues, such as those above, have been fully exhausted. My officials are in ongoing engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, who have primary responsibility for economic migration policy and work permits.
Finally, I would also point to the recently published Food Vision 2030 Strategy, which contains a goal to attract and nurture diverse and inclusive talent. Among its actions are for employers in the agri-food sector to develop an education, skills and talent attraction and retention strategy, as well as a series of actions to make roles more attractive.