Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I work for many employers in Cork East and I hope they will keep employing me.

In regard to amendment No. 49, providing for sector-specific employment permits would only be possible were the Department to waive all checks on the employer, which the Minister cannot accept. Currently, all employers of permit holders are on the Department's database which is regularly checked by the National Employment Rights Authority as part of their compliance with the permits legislation. Part of the evaluation of the employment permit application is to check the bona fides of the employer as well as establishing that there are actual labour shortages for the job to be filled. Refusals arise where the employer is not deemed to be operating legitimately and where no such labour shortage is demonstrated.

The Minister considers that the Deputy's amendment would make a targeted approach to meeting labour market skills shortages through the permit system impossible. It would also significantly weaken the ability of the State to control and monitor employers of permit holders. It is on that basis that we cannot accept the proposed amendments. However, it must be said that we exercise discretion in humanitarian circumstances and where it is less than 12 months-----