Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Colm Burke for raising this matter. It is an issue of which I am aware from my contact with nursing homes in my area. Ireland’s overarching labour market policy is to promote the sourcing of skills and labour needs from within Ireland and the European Economic Area. As the economy improves, labour and skills needs are becoming apparent in some sectors. Recognising the changing economy and labour market and the challenges faced by enterprises in attracting sufficient labour, my officials are undertaking a review of the economic migration policies underpinning the employment permits system to ensure that our policies are supportive of Ireland's emerging labour market needs, be they skills or labour shortages. This report is expected by the end of June.

Ireland operates a managed employment permits system maximising the benefits of economic migration while minimising the risk of disrupting Ireland's labour market. It operates an occupational list system for in-demand occupations and those for whom a ready source of labour is available but which is ineligible for an employment permit. Changes to access to the Irish labour market for occupations through the employment permits system are made on the basis of evidence involving research by the expert group on future skills needs, the National Skills Council, a public consultation process and extensive engagement with Departments.

Care workers are currently on the ineligible list of employments as available evidence suggests there is no labour shortage, but a high turnover of staff, in this category. The nursing home sector should engage with the Department of Health as the lead Department in this regard and provide it with the necessary data to demonstrate that recruitment difficulties are solely due to labour shortages and not other factors such as attraction and retention issues. The Department of Health could then put forward to my Department a detailed business case for consideration of the removal of care workers from the ineligible list.

The recently announced pilot quota-based agricultural scheme was developed following consideration by the review group of an evidenced-based business case put forward by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine following consultation with the agricultural sector. The scheme is temporary to alleviate the immediate labour difficulties that the sector was experiencing. The nursing home sector should engage with relevant stakeholders with a view to putting forward to the Department of Health a business case showing evidence of labour shortages in the sector, which will then be forwarded to my Department for consideration.