Where specific skills prove difficult to source within the State and wider EEA, an employment permit may be sought by an employer to hire a non-EEA national subject to the Employment Permits Acts and Regulations. The employment permits system is managed through the operation of the Critical Skills Occupations List and the Ineligible Occupations List for the purposes of granting an employment permit
The occupation lists for employment permit purposes are reviewed twice yearly to ensure that the employment permit system is supportive of the economy by maximising the benefits of economic migration and minimising any disruption to the domestic/EEA labour market. Changes to access to the Irish labour market for specific occupations via the employment permits system are made on the basis of research undertaken by the Expert Group of Future Skills Needs, the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (Solas), the National Skills Council, input from relevant Government Departments and a public consultation process. Account is also taken of education outputs, sectoral upskilling and training initiatives and known contextual factors such as Project 2040 and Brexit. Submissions are also considered by the Economic Migration Interdepartmental Group.
Dental technicians are currently included on the Ineligible Occupations List. In order to remove a skill from this list, there would need to be a clear demonstration that recruitment difficulties are solely due to shortages across the EEA and not to other factors such as salary and/or employment conditions. Organisations in the sector would need to provide the necessary data to substantiate their claims. A detailed evidence-based case would then need to be put forward by the Department of Health as the lead Department for the sector, to my Department for review and consideration.
A review of the occupation lists is being currently being finalised at present with some 48 submission made in response to the public/stakeholder consultation. Another review of the occupation lists is scheduled to commence before the end of quarter two, 2019.
