Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I take on board the points raised by the Senator and I would be happy to receive a submission from her on that. Employment permit policy is part of the response to addressing skills deficits but it is not intended over the longer term to act as a substitute for meeting the challenge of upskilling our resident workforce. The work of the hospitality skills oversight group in driving practical actions and collaboration to address the skills needs of the hospitality sector is to be welcomed. It is my priority to ensure the Irish labour market is positively affected by the movement of skills into the country to ensure that labour shortages in key sectors do not stall economic growth. That is very important.

For example, in recent years meat deboners and heavy goods vehicle, HGV, drivers have been removed from the ineligible occupation list in response to the labour needs of those sectors. I know from discussions with the Irish Road Haulage Association, IRHA, that there were issues regarding the shortage of skilled HGV drivers. I know the position remains challenging but I am delighted that in my own county of Monaghan, we were able to initiate a HGV driver apprenticeship programme, which is being rolled out in conjunction with Cavan-Monaghan Education and Training Board. That is a very welcome development and it will help to equip people with the necessary skills for HGV driving.

I want to see more of this because our priority, first and foremost, should be to ensure that Irish workers have the necessary skills to take on these sorts of jobs. In the short term, that might not always prove possible and in that regard the role migration can play in addressing the skills shortages is being reviewed by my Department to ensure it is fully supportive of Ireland's emerging labour market needs, be they skills or labour shortages in areas such as the hospitality sector, as Senator Byrne has highlighted.