Ms Fiona Ward:

We issued about 16,400 employment permits last year, which was 1% higher than the number issued in 2019, which in turn was about 13% higher than the number we issued in 2018. Despite the Covid crisis, the numbers did not reduce. We were able to reduce our backlog because we introduced an e-type of temporary permit arrangement with our colleagues in the Department of Justice. We had a backlog of about 2,800 applications and that is down to less than 900 at the moment.

In terms of the sectors, 31% of the permits were in the health sector. We have been prioritising those permits for processing since the Covid crisis commenced. The next highest sector is the ICT sector. About 28% of permits issued to it. The next highest sector is the agricultural sector, which got 11% of the permits. They are the three sectors with the highest number of permits issued in 2020. The agricultural quota scheme is exhausted at this stage and there are no permits available for that pilot scheme at the moment.

Reunification is not really a matter for this permit. It is a matter for our colleagues in the Department of Justice. The only area we are involved in is the critical skills employment permit. The additional benefits were added to that permit to seek to ensure that workers in occupations where there was a shortage in the State would settle here. As I said to Deputy Stanton, as a result of a recommendation of the 2018 review, we intend to look at that area and it is definitely one we will examine. If we make any changes to it, legislative change will not be required.

I will hand over to my colleague, Mr. Walsh, assistant principal with responsibility for the employment permit operations, who should be able to deal with the question on whether there is an issue with changing employment permits within the 12-month period.