The recently published Department of Justice report on the Review of the Atypical Scheme for non-EEA Crew in the Irish Fishing Fleet concluded that the employment of non-EEA crew in the Irish fishing fleet who had been catered for under the Atypical Working Scheme (AWS) since 2015 should be provided for under the Employment Permit scheme. For this key recommendation to be implemented it was noted that employer and employee representative groups should make a submission to remove the occupation of fishers from the Ineligible Occupations List to my Department.
Sector representatives from the fishing industry have been provided with this review form along with guidance in its preparation and inclusion of the necessary data to support their submission. It has also been advised that input from the lead policy Department, in this case the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine should also be incorporated to support the change of status of the occupation of fishers to an eligible occupation for an employment permit.
The work of the Group to oversee the move of non-EEA fishermen in the Irish fishing fleet to the employment permits system will be initiated after receipt of this evidence-based submission from the fishing sector.
