Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2022
215. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his consideration on granting more employment permits to non-EEA nationals to meet the greater demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37704/22]
View answerIreland’s employment permits system is designed to accommodate the arrival of non-EEA nationals to fill skills and labour gaps for the benefit of our economy, in the short to medium term, but this objective must be balanced by the need to ensure that there are no suitably qualified Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work and that the shortage is a genuine one.
The system is managed through the operation of the Critical Skills and Ineligible Occupations Lists which determine roles that are either in critical short supply, or, are ineligible for an employment permit where it is evidenced that there is sufficient availability of those skills in the domestic and EEA labour market.
In order to ensure the employment permits system is aligned with current labour market intelligence, these lists undergo regular, evidence-based review. These reviews are guided by relevant research and a public/stakeholder consultation. The views of the Economic Migration Interdepartmental Group and relevant policy Departments are also taken into consideration.
Account is taken of upskilling and training initiatives and other known contextual factors, such as the ending of the pandemic unemployment payment schemes and their impact on the labour market. Changes to the employment permit occupations lists are made where there are no suitable Irish/EEA nationals available, development opportunities are not undermined, a genuine skills shortage exists, rather than a recruitment or retention problem, and Government education, training and economic development policies are supported.
Demand for Employment Permits increased by over 50% in April 2021 and has increased further into 2022. From the start of January to the end of December 2021, some 27,666 applications were received, representing a 69% increase over the same period in 2020 (16,293) and a 47% increase on 2019 (18,811), which itself represented an 11 year high in applications. This increased demand is estimated to see up to 35,000 applications processed in 2022.
