Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 May 2018
27. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her views on recent changes she made to employment permits for workers from outside the European Economic Area; and her further views on the way in which this will impact on employment here. [22890/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn Monday 14th May, I announced a pilot, quota based system that will address the immediate needs of the Horticulture, Dairy and Meat Processing Sectors and is a first step in addressing some of the challenges facing the sector. The scheme will allow workers in the horticulture, meat processing and dairy sectors from non-EEA countries to access the labour market.
As the economy improves and we approach full employment, labour shortages at the lower skills end of the jobs market are becoming apparent in some sectors, with the consequent potential to constrict growth if these needs are not met.
Earlier this year, in recognition of the changed economy and labour market of today as we move clearly and strongly out of the downturn, I asked my Department to review the economic migration policies underpinning the current employment permits system. The purpose of the review is to ensure that our current policies are fully supportive of Ireland’s emerging labour market needs, be they critical skills needs or lower-skilled labour shortages. The review is overseen by an Interdepartmental Group, chaired by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. A Report is due to for my consideration by the end of June 2018.
However, I am acutely aware of the particular challenges facing parts of the agri-food sector. The sector employs about 173,000 people across the regions, contributes almost 8% to gross national income, and currently has exports worth almost €13.5bn. It is our most important indigenous sector and its reach into rural Ireland brings jobs and value to every region. For this reason, I asked the review group in advance of completing the full review, to prioritise the emerging labour shortages in the sector in its deliberations.
I am applying a quota of 500 permits for horticulture workers, 250 for meat processing operatives and 50 for dairy farm assistants. This is to ensure that in the longer-term, strategies are put in place to source labour supply from both the domestic and European labour markets and to invest in innovative technologies for the sector. A new minimum remuneration threshold of €22,000 is being introduced for these occupations. Furthermore, there will be specific obligations on the employers around the welfare and prospects of the foreign nationals employed. This includes ensuring they have access to suitable accommodation and to training in areas such as language skills.
This is a departure from our current employment permits regime, which has generally focused on critical skills gaps at the higher end of the labour market as we position Ireland for further growth in the knowledge economy. Like many developed countries, however, we are now seeing pressures at the lower-skilled end of the market. In seeking to deal with these pressures, I am also conscious that any changes introduced must not disrupt the domestic labour market.
Employment permit policy is part of the response to addressing skills deficits which exist and are likely to continue into the medium term, but it is not intended over the longer term to act as a substitute for meeting the challenge of up-skilling the State’s resident workforce, with an emphasis on the process of lifelong learning, and on maximizing the potential of EEA nationals to fill our skills deficits.
The report of the Inter-Departmental review group, due this summer, is tasked with recommending a strategy for economic migration to meet the State's changing labour needs into the future.
