Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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7. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to expand the lists of occupations for roles that are eligible for employment permits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32942/25]

Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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This question is important in the context of our economy. Across our economy in health, ICT and engineering, there are skills shortages that need to be filled. Will the Minister of State provide an update on his plan to expand the list of occupations?

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The programme for Government outlines our commitment to addressing skills shortages and supporting economic growth through a strategic migration approach. Ireland’s general policy is to promote the sourcing of labour from within Ireland and the EEA. To fulfil this policy, Ireland operates and manages an employment permits system designed to fill critical skills and labour shortages in the short to medium term where those skills are not available within Ireland or the EEA. This targeted approach ensures that Irish enterprise has access to the talent it needs to remain productive, competitive and innovative, particularly in the context of near full employment.

The employment permits system is managed on the basis of two occupations lists. The critical skills occupations list prioritises specific in-demand professional roles crucial to the functioning of Irish society such as healthcare and IT. Minimum annual remuneration for roles on the critical skills occupations list start at €38,000 for those with a relevant degree and €64,000 for those with relevant experience. The ineligible occupations list identifies roles for which a labour supply should be available in the Irish or EEA labour market and so are ineligible for consideration for an employment permit. All roles not on either list are eligible for general employment permits which have a minimum annual remuneration of €34,000 for most roles.

The occupations lists are subject to periodic review. This means that in times of economic expansion, eligible occupation categories may be expanded to provide for labour and skills shortages. During a period of economic contraction, eligible occupation categories can be narrowed and other restrictions applied.

Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Are there plans to expand the lists? The programme for Government does not just mention visas; it also refers to merging the visa and employment permit systems into one user-friendly, single-application procedure supported by a new ICT system. I understand that a new permit system has been rolled out, and Deputy Mattie McGrath also raised this issue. Concerns have been raised with me by constituents, all of which we were able to resolve. How is the new system performing? Is the new IT system performing well? Is it slower than the previous system? There is much confusion. To support SMEs, the Department could provide more training. There was an online webinar and briefing but more training could be of benefit for SMEs that regularly use the system, whether in healthcare or ICT.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The employment permit system is demand-led and designed to respond to the real labour market needs. The occupations list is reviewed periodically. The next formal review is scheduled for the summer. It will be open to all sectors. We invite many representative bodies, Departments and NGOs to make submissions. It is evidence-based. It is reviewed and overseen by an interdepartmental group on economic migration, the skills and labour market research unit and Department of Social Protection. We recently made 43 changes to the occupations list. That reflects the new critical skills required. We are making changes including key sectors such as science, engineering and health. I will come back to the Deputy about his question on the ongoing performance of the current system which was implemented as part of an action plan. It has been working well in recent months.

Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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It is welcome to hear that a review will take place and that such reviews happen periodically. Is there a date for when submissions will open? Are they made on a rolling basis? If I go back to my constituents in Galway East and across the network, it would be great to be able to give people an update. I would appreciate an update on the permit system. As with any new system, there have been teething issues but nothing that cannot be worked through. The system will serve the better purpose of shortening waiting times for work permits.

In sectors of high demand, is there any limit to the number of work permits that can be issued for areas where we have significant skills shortages?

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for his focus on this important area. The consultation will open shortly. We will make that announcement in due course. It will open for an eight-week period. There will be an opportunity for employers, representative bodies and Departments to make submissions. This is very much a transparent, data-driven process. It is open to all sectors. Most recently, we opened the eligible occupation list for town planners in order to deliver the infrastructure and the housing we need, and for social and home care helpers because it is really important we continue to invest in the care of older people. We also have a shortage of HGV, coach and bus drivers. The single application procedure for employment permits and the immigration permissions will be central in terms of how we have one system fit for the State.