My Department draws on population and migration data produced by the Central Statistics Office in monitoring the amount of inward migration to Ireland. In addition, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) contributes to my Department's monitoring of sectors in the economy that require additional workers through the National Skills Bulletin, which is published annually. The 2007 National Skills Bulletin is the third annual report published by the EGFSN on skills and occupational trends in Ireland.
The Bulletin outlines key labour market statistics in order to assist policy formulation in the areas of employment, education and training, and immigration. The main focus of the Bulletin is the analysis of employment at occupational level for the period 2001-2006. Each occupation is examined in terms of its employment profile (based on data from the Quarterly National Household Survey), recent employment trends and other available indicators on the demand and supply of skills. These include the number of employment permits issued to non-EU nationals by my Department; an indication of difficulty in filling positions from the monthly FÁS/ESRI Vacancy Survey; movements in the number of vacancies advertised through FÁS, the Irish Times and IrishJobs.ie; an estimation of the supply emerging from the Irish education and training system as provided by the Higher Education Authority, Higher Education and Training Awarding Council (HETAC), Further Education and Training Awarding Council (FETAC), Department of Education and Science, State Examinations Commission and various private providers; and any other relevant findings from the EGFSN's sectoral studies.
By drawing on these sources of information, the EGFSN can comment on the balance between the demand and supply for each occupation. Identified shortages are defined in terms of their characteristics, i.e. skill shortage or labour shortage, expected duration and significance. The report highlights recent and current shortages and can assist my Department in determining those occupations that should be deemed eligible to receive Green Cards and/or Work Permits.