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Work Permits

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2022

Tuesday, 22 March 2022

Ceisteanna (95)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

95. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the length of time it is taking his Department to process work permit applications (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14966/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The employment permits system is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages, in circumstances where there are no suitably qualified Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work and that the shortage is a genuine one.  The system is managed through the use of lists designating highly skilled and ineligible occupations.

Since March 2020, the Department has implemented Covid-19 contingency arrangements moving employment permit operations seamlessly to a totally remote working environment.  Indeed, Ireland was one of the few countries which managed to keep their employment permit system fully operational throughout the crisis.

From the outset of the crisis, in order to assist the HSE and all other medical providers in the State to respond to, and to assist with, the public health response to the threat of Covid-19, all medical employment permits are expedited with immediate effect.

My Department experienced a significant increase in applications for employment permits in the past year.  Applications for Employment Permits increased significantly over the course of 2021, impacting on processing times.  From the start of January to the end of December 2021, some 27,666 applications were received, representing a 69% increase over the same period in 2020 (16,293) and a 47% increase on 2019 (18,811), which itself represented an 11 year high in applications. 

My Department has issued 16,275 employment permits in 2021, and processed a total of 17,968 applications which represents a significant volume of activity. 

In addition, the extension of categories of employment permits following the latest Review of the Occupational Lists has increased the availability of employment permits for these roles. 

Processing times have been impacted by this increase in demand but also because of the HSE cyber-attack.  As a result, employment permit applications associated with the July Doctors rotation (which occurs twice yearly in January and July) had to be submitted either manually or through other nonstandard methods. 

My Department recognises the impact delays on the processing times for work permits has for businesses and their workers and has developed a plan of action to reduce processing times built up over the pandemic.  

The plan includes both additional staffing and systemic changes.  Staffing actions include recruitment of additional permanent and temporary staff.  When all recruitment is completed, the team will be three and a quarter times the size it was in early November.  There has also been an increase in overtime and the temporary reassignment of staff from other areas of the Department with relevant skills.

These measures have already delivered a considerable increase in processing capacity.  As the plan of action is fully implemented it is expected that there will be positive progress achieved in reducing the backlog by the end of Q1 with it substantially reduced by the end of Q2 2022.  This should see a return to more normal processing timeframes.  Indeed

In addition, further systemic changes have also been introduced.  My Department has worked with the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive and the Department of Justice to streamline and extend the time period for General Employment Permits (GEP) issued to doctors.  A new two-year multi-site GEP for Medical Doctors in Public hospitals and Public health facilities was introduced in respect of the January 2022 Doctors rotation.  This will result in significant benefits for applicants, as well as major efficiencies for the Employment Permits Section, by eliminating the necessity to apply for additional employment permits when moving to a different Public hospital or Public health facility within this two year period.

The Employment Permits Section is currently processing General Employment Permit Trusted Partner applications from 25 November and Standard applications from 26 October. 

The Department provides regular updates on its website in relation to processing times and engages directly with key stakeholders including the IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, AmCham, IBEC, representative groups and individual companies, as required.

Applicants can keep track of Employment Permit applications current processing dates at enterprise.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Employment-Permits/Current-Application-Processing-Dates.

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