18th July 2023
Neale Richmond TD, Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, is encouraging businesses to submit their views to the review of the occupations on the Critical Skills and Ineligible Occupations List for employment permits.
Minister Richmond said:
“Earlier this summer I launched the first full review of the eligible occupations for employment permits in two years. This review will determine what occupations will be ineligible for employment permits, and which will be classified as Critical Skills, higher paid jobs which come with more favourable family reunification policies.
“As we have reached full employment, with 2.61 million people at work, businesses have continued to rely on the employment permits system where labour shortages have emerged. The employment permits system is there to fill the gap where workers cannot be found in Ireland or Europe, and allows businesses to bring in workers from outside of the EEA.
“In 2022, almost 40,000 permits were issued, with a further 15,335 issued in the first six months of this year.
“In many cases these workers are crucial in keeping our country operating. Since the start of 2022, 2,197 construction workers have been granted permits to help build the houses we so badly need in the State. This year alone, over 1,000 doctors, 2,500 nurses and 1,484 healthcare assistants have come to Ireland on employment permits.
“With the review closing on August 18th, businesses have just over one month left to submit their feedback as to what changes they believe should be made to the current occupations lists. This is crucial to ensuring that the system reflects the needs of businesses it is designed to serve.
“I would strongly encourage all businesses and stakeholders who use the employment permits system to submit to the review.”
Submissions are invited from representative bodies, government departments, agencies, and other interested parties to a public consultation to review the eligibility of occupations appearing on the Critical Skills Occupations List and the Ineligible Occupations List for employment permits.
If you feel that there are skills/labour shortages or surpluses in relation to occupations in your sector and that these are adversely affecting your industry, you are invited to make a submission.
You should include in your evidence based submission any relevant factors that you consider are impacting on your sector so that consideration can be given to making adjustments to the lists, for example, data on the skills or labour shortages, information on recruitment efforts undertaken, retention difficulties, relevant training incentives, impact on business, expansion plans etc., and any other evidence or data such as industry surveys or reports and views within your sector.
Submissions will only be accepted using the form made available on the department’s website and will be accepted until Friday, 18 August 2023.
See Public consultation on the review of the occupations lists for employment permits
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