Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023
390. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will take the necessary steps to ensure that the employment permit process and the employment visa process are streamlined under the jurisdiction of one Government Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47630/23]
View answerCurrently Ireland has a clear division between economic migration and general immigration policies. The holder of an employment permit must undergo separate application processes with the Department of Justice for immigration and visa permission to enter the State if the individual is a citizen of a visa-required country.
Since my last response to the Deputy on this matter, I can confirm that the development of a single application procedure is actively underway. The Inter-Departmental Group, led by the Department of Justice has been established to examine the legal and operational changes required to deliver a single-window customer service for users of the employment permits system and visa immigration system.
We are currently at the solution design stage. A number of processes and IT improvements are in progress, not least the deployment in 2024 of a replacement Employment Permits IT system which will result in enhanced data collection and quality as well as dual employer/employee access, alignment between the DETE and Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) online information. The purpose of these changes – being developed in tandem with the Department of Justice – will be to remove duplication of eligibility checks and document validation whilst also ensuring better coordination between the relevant Government Departments and Agencies as well operational efficiencies.
The focus of the IDG is to streamline the customer experience into a single application procedure. However, there are no plans to merge the relevant legislative responsibilities under the jurisdiction of a single Government Department. The parties to the process – my Department, the Department of Justice, the Garda National Immigration Bureau and the Department of Social Protection – will retain responsibility over their respective areas.
