Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 May 2022
68. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a minimum time can be achieved for the processing of applications for work permits for non-European Union workers particularly in the healthcare sector in which there are so many staff shortages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25016/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
From the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic all employment permit applications for medical personnel have been expedited in order to assist the State to respond to the threat of Covid-19.
On 14 June 2021, following a review of the employment permit occupation lists, changes to the employment permit system were announced, to address skills and labour shortages in the healthcare and nursing home sector. Following this review the occupation of Nursing Auxiliary or Assistant (Health Care Assistant) in hospital/nursing home settings became eligible for an employment permit from that date.
My Department experienced a significant increase in applications for employment permits in the past year, impacting on processing times. In 2021 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. 16,275 employment permits were issued in 2021, and a total of 17,968 applications processed.
The increased demand was partially driven by the extension of categories of employment permits following the Review of the Occupational Lists in October 2021. Processing times were also impacted as a result of the HSE cyber-attack which had a direct effect on employment permit applications associated with the July 2021 Doctors rotation, which had to be processed manually.
My Department has since 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 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. This should see a substantial reduction in applications for the next Doctors rotation in July 2022
My Department advise that any application for any employment permit should be submitted at least 12 weeks before the proposed employment start date. However, my Department & I recognise the impact delays in the processing times for employment permits has for businesses and their workers. An internal plan of action has been implemented which has increased resources and implemented more efficient methods of processing applications in the permits system. The processing team has trebled in size and daily output has more than tripled compared to 2021 levels.
Since the implementation of this plan, the Employment Permits Unit has made positive progress by reducing the number of applications awaiting processing from about 11,000 in January 2022 to about 6,000 today, despite further strong growth in demand in 2022. As new Departmental staff were trained initially on Critical Skills Employment Permits applications, which include Doctors and Nurses roles, processing times have fallen from 21 weeks to 6 weeks for this cohort. My Department plans to maintain processing times for all CSEP applications at approximately this current level for all of Q2, on the assumption that demand remains at current levels.
The Employment Permits Unit is now coming to the end of processing the bulk of the 3,000 additional General Employment Permits applications made available to the meat and horticultural sectors, following the latest review of the Occupational Lists last year, in addition to the normal processing workload. Last week processing times for General Employment Permit applications for Trusted Partners fell from 22 weeks to 16 weeks. Processing times for General Employment Permit applications from Standard applicants is at 22 weeks but should begin to fall from now on, with processing times considerably reduced by the end of Quarter 2.
