Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 October 2021
243. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will consider a programme to encourage non-EEA doctors and their families to work and stay in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50473/21]
View answerPolicy responsibility for this sector falls under the remit of my colleague, Mr. Stephen Donnelly T.D., Minister for Health.
The State's employment permit system is designed to supplement Ireland's skills and labour supply over the short to medium term by allowing enterprises to recruit nationals from outside the EEA, where such skills or expertise cannot be sourced from within the EEA at that time. The system is, by design, vacancy led and managed through the operation of the critical skills and ineligible occupation lists. These lists are subject to twice yearly evidence-based review, taking account of labour market research, a public consultation and contextual issues such as Brexit and Covid 19.
Doctors, including non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs), are on the critical skills list and are eligible for the Critical Skills Employment Permit. The Critical Skills Employment Permit is Ireland's premium employment permit and is targeted at highly skilled people in eligible occupations deemed to be critically important to growing Ireland’s economy, are highly demanded and highly skilled, and in significant shortage of supply in our labour market. This permit provides for immediate family reunification, broad access to the labour market for dependents, spouses and partners as well as fast tracking to long term residency after two years. The criteria attached to this permit type includes the requirement for the non-EEA national to have secured a job offer of two years.
My Department has worked with the HSE to put in place a process that allows for up to two-year, multi-site applications for Doctors, including NCHDs, for employment permits but any agreement on duration of individual employment contracts is a matter for the HSE and the doctor concerned.
