Joe O'Brien
Question:198. Deputy Joe O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of plans for the development of seasonal work permits. [4574/22]
View answerTuesday, 1 February 2022
Questions (198)
Written answers
The employment permits system is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages over the short to medium term, in circumstances where there are no suitably qualified Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work and that the shortage is a genuine one.
The system is, by design, vacancy led and managed through the use of the occupations lists designating highly skilled and ineligible occupations. The lists are reviewed twice a year to ensure their ongoing relevance to the State’s human capital requirements.
The 2018 Review of Economic Migration Policy found that there is a clear role for time limited work permissions for seasonal contracts for typically 6-9 months. Ireland is an outlier in not having this form of permission. To meet this demand, the development of a seasonal employment permit is proposed in the Employment Permit (Consolidation and Amendment) Bill.
Work is progressing on drafting the Bill and is currently scheduled for publication in the Spring.