The Department of Justice recently published the Review of the Atypical Scheme for non-EEA Crew in the Irish Fishing Fleet. The report and its recommendations followed an extensive consultation process with stakeholders involved in the scheme. A recommendation of the Review Group is that the employment of non-EEA crew in the Irish fishing fleet should be provided for under the Employment Permit system instead of the Atypical Working Scheme.
A cross-departmental group of senior officials in relevant departments and agencies will be established to oversee implementation of the transition. The overall time frame for implementation of the report’s recommendations is expected to be approximately 12 months. Issues such as access to the Reactivation Permit will form part of the considerations of the implementation group.
As the occupation of Fisher is on the Ineligible Occupations List at present, the sector has been advised to prepare a business case to support the removal of Fisher from the Ineligible Occupations List.
The Reactivation Employment Permit is designed to provide an employment permit to a non-EEA national, who had entered the State on a valid permit but who fell out of the system through no fault of their own or who has been badly treated or exploited in the workplace, to work legally again. A Reactivation Employment Permit can only be offered to someone who previously held an Employment Permit, and therefore cannot be issued to a someone who held immigration permission under the Atypical Working Scheme. However, if a non-EEA national who has lost their employment that was facilitated under the Atypical Working Scheme is a given a new immigration permission from the Department of Justice that allows them to seek work, they may then apply for an Employment Permit, if offered a role that is not on the Ineligible Occupations List.
