Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023
412. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the person appointed by his Department to conduct the strategic review of the labour needs of the meat processing industry; the timeframe for the completion of this review; if work permits will be made available to the meat processing industry while this review is underway; and the timeframe within which these work permits will be made available. [48123/23]
View answerThe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine leads Government policy for the agri-food sector and has responsibility for undertaking the strategic review of the labour needs of the meat processing industry. Officials of my Department are actively engaging with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to progress work on the review and I understand that terms of reference for the review are being finalised at present, and the review will be published on e-Tenders in the coming weeks.
Following a comprehensive review of the employment permit occupation lists, and in light of the continued labour shortages in the agricultural and agri-food sectors, my Department has provided access to the General Employment Permit to the meat processing sector over recent years, most recently through an additional quota of 425 permits made available in June 2022. All quotas for meat processing operatives have now been exhausted.
These and other agriculture/agri-food quotas were opened with a proviso that a strategic review on labour attraction and retention in the sector be carried out in order to examine more sustainable solutions for meeting the labour needs of the sector into the future. The review will influence the decision on the eligibility of the role for employment permits in the future.
The Economic Migration Policy Unit of my Department is responsible for managing the review of the Occupational Lists and is actively engaging with other Government departments including the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to consider submissions received to the public consultation to review the lists which was open between June and August this year. The Interdepartmental Group on Economic Migration Policy which is tasked with overseeing the review of the lists process convened on 26th October last to consider submissions (including those from the meat processing sector) and a report containing recommendations for my consideration is expected later this month.
