Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 November 2022
92. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has plans to re-open the application process for work permits for farming, including the pig and poultry sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55372/22]
View answerIreland operates a managed employment permits system maximising the benefits of economic migration and minimising the risk of disrupting Ireland’s labour market.
Four occupations in the farming sector have been provided with quotas of General Employment Permits including Dairy Farm Assistant (100 GEPs), Horticulture Operative (1000 GEPs), Meat Deboner (500 GEPs), and Meat Processor Operative (1500 GEPs). The quotas for Dairy Farm Assistant and Meat Processor Operative have now been filled.
The quotas were opened with a proviso that a strategic review on labour attraction and retention in the agri-food sector be carried out in order to put in place more sustainable solutions for meeting the labour needs of the sector.
This review will influence the decision on the eligibility for employment permits for the farming sector into the future, guided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, as lead policy department for the sector.
