Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A quarter of all permits issued so far this year had no fee attaching to them, and I am carrying out a review of the fee structure for employment permits later this year, with an open consultation exercise part and parcel of that review process. The purpose of this Bill is to place the issue of employment permits on a clear, statutory basis to a significant level of detail in the accompanying regulations. Such an approach would preclude consideration on a case-by case basis of the widely varied circumstances of individual applicants, which is what would be required if the amendment was accepted. Further, the grounds on which such a waiver might be applied would necessarily be based on a third party and possibly unsubstantiated report into the circumstances of the applicant or on an investigation into those circumstances, which would likely cause considerable delay to the issue of the permit and consequently might jeopardise the employment in prospect. There is always the option for the employer to pay the fee, so a waiver provision is not necessary. Given my fee review plans later this year and the unworkable nature of a case-by-case approach to fee waivers, I cannot accept the Deputy’s proposed amendment.

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