Ms Clare Dunne:

No, they could do that while they were in the country, but while in the country if they came over with their spouses or partners and decided subsequently they wanted to find a job, they would first have to find eligible employment. By that I mean they would not have been allowed to apply for any employment on the ineligible list of employments. Once they found the job, they would then be eligible to apply for a permit and then by extension to apply to the Department of Justice and Equality for a change in their visa, their immigration status.

Therefore, a person used to find a job, apply for it, be fairly certain of getting it and engage with the employer. However, the minute the prospective employer realised they did not have an automatic right to start work quickly, they were often reluctant to engage further with the spouse or partner. In this policy, clearly the Department was at cross-purposes. On the one hand we want to do everything possible to encourage these people to come to Ireland and settle here with their families and on the other hand we were making it very difficult for them to do so. While they could apply for a permit, get a permit and work in the State, it was very cumbersome. There was considerable misinformation going around. We wanted to bring clarity and streamline the process.