Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 May 2022
376. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will consider recognising and permitting non-European Economic Area persons that are qualified to work here, in view of the shortage of fully-qualified pharmacists here and if he has consulted with his colleagues in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in respect of expanding the critical-skills visa to facilitate this cohort of worker. [25573/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) is the statutory regulator charged with recognition and registration of individuals as pharmacists in Ireland. Anyone wishing to practise as a pharmacist in Ireland must first register with the PSI, and the individual must satisfy the regulatory criteria defined in statute for such recognition/registration in the interest of maintaining the safety and wellbeing of patients utilising pharmacy services.
The PSI operates three routes of recognition/registration depending on where the pharmacy qualification held by an individual has first been acquired – the national route, EU route and non-EU (third country qualification recognition - TCQR) route under established processes based in Irish and EU law. The PSI non-EU route of registration is complex, and we understand that the regulator is currently undertaking a process to review it with the aim of having an improved TCQR route in place for January 2023.
Ireland’s employment permits system is managed by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and is designed to supplement Ireland's skills and labour supply by accommodating the arrival of non-EEA nationals to fill skills and labour gaps for the benefit of our economy, in the short to medium term. This objective must be balanced by the need to ensure that there are no suitably qualified Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work and that the shortage is a genuine one. The system is vacancy led and managed through the operation of the Critical Skills and Ineligible Occupations Lists which determine employments that are either in high demand or are ineligible for an employment permit where it is evidenced that there is more than sufficient availability of those skills in the domestic and EEA labour market.
In order to ensure the employment permits system is aligned with current labour market intelligence, these lists undergo regular, evidence-based review guided by relevant research, a public/stakeholder consultation, and the views of the Economic Migration Interdepartmental Group and relevant policy Departments, in this case the Department of Health. Account is taken of education and training outputs and known contextual factors such as Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic and the ending of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and their impact on the labour market.
Changes to the employment permit occupations lists are made where there are no suitable Irish/EEA nationals available, development opportunities are not undermined, genuine skills shortage exists rather than a recruitment or retention problem and Government education, training and economic development policies are supported.
The occupation of Retail Pharmacist is currently eligible for a General Employment Permit for non-EEA nationals wishing to take up employment in the State. The General Employment Permit is the primary vehicle used by the State to attract third country nationals in occupations with remuneration thresholds of generally €30,000. The General Employment Permit is also subject to a Labour Market Needs Test (LMNT), demonstrating that the employer was unable to fill the position from the Irish and EEA labour market. However, where the vacancy attracts a salary of over €64,000, an LMNT is not required, and the role may be eligible for the Critical Skills Employment Permit.
The timing of the next Review of the Occupational Lists will be kept under review by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in the context of clearing the current employment permits backlog. When open, submissions will be invited from sector representative bodies and interested parties via the Public Consultation Form which will be accessible on the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment’s website.
