Written Answers. - Work Permits.
Seán Crowe
Ceist:
76
Mr. Crowe
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
when she intends to change the currently inequitable work permit system to a system whereby the worker would hold the work permit and would be able to change employer.
[29847/03]
Currently, the work permit system grants the permit to an employer to recruit a specific employee to fill a specific vacancy where the employer has been unable to find a suitable employee within Ireland or the wider European economic area. This arrangement does have the safeguard that the non-EEA employee in question is coming to fill a specific vacancy, an important factor when most of the personnel in question are at the lower end of the skills spectrum.
In recent years, work permit personnel have been readily facilitated in changing jobs and in such circumstances a new work permit is issued to an eligible employer. This flexibility has being possible and warranted by the relatively high number of vacancies arising in recent years. If we were to move to a situation where a work permit was given to the individual employee, we would, in effect, be giving on authorisation to come to Ireland in search of an employer. Such a system is not impossible but it does give rise to a number of serious policy questions and does raise very significant resource issues. Any informed decision to move to a new system should take into account to whom would permits be issued; in respect of what skills; how many per year; would we give quotas to other countries if requested; if so, to which countries; for how long might a person seek a job; what would be done if a person did not find a job within the period allowed; would families of the work permit holder be permitted to travel immediately, if so, who would be responsible for their support in Ireland; and, what impact, if any, would such a programme have on the housing market, particularly at the lower end of the rented private sector.
The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has had to put in place very significant resources in recent years to give detailed consideration to applications from 10,000-12,000 asylum seekers per year. Given the likely level of demand for employment permits from aspiring employees, the question arises as to whether the State would be prepared to devote an equivalent amount of resources to detailed assessment of employment permit applications from a similar or even greater number of applicants.
It is anticipated that, after EU enlargement, on 1 May 2004, the greater portion of our overseas personnel needs will be met from within the EU, thus obviating the need for a work permit.
