Mr. Joe Ryan:

The Deputy's first question was about advertising at European level. There would be significant advertising done with the EURES database first and then via recruitment agencies based across Europe. In the context of various submissions we have done in seeking permits, we have put in detailed, evidence-based submissions and company case studies which outline and give detail on the types of recruitment activities across Europe. It would be the EURES databases, social media, recruitment agencies and prior to now it would have been attendance at job fairs. Obviously, in the past 18 months Covid has greatly reduced the number of workers who are prepared to travel but even pre Covid we would have seen a significant shortage in the number of people coming in.

As European economies started to prosper themselves as well, fewer and fewer people were willing to travel and, therefore, that is what led us eventually to seek employment permits.

Regarding the number of people currently here on permits, the last quota we got was in December 2019 of 1,000. All releases so far have been via a quota system. Adding to the previous allocations and quotas, I would say the total allocation, quota-wise, is about 3,100 since 2015. Of those, I would say 2,700 or 2,800 are in situ. Covid has delayed a number of people coming in over the past 12 months.

There was another question on location. I presume the question relates to the permit holder rather than the EU staff. In terms of permit holders, it varies, but the principal nationalities are probably Brazilian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Ukrainian and Kosovan. Those countries are the principal locations and while the staff are not unique to those countries the largest volumes probably come from them. I think they were all the questions Deputy Stanton had for me.