Neale Richmond (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and thank her very much for taking this Commencement matter. This is an issue she might be familiar with both in the context of her current brief and a previous portfolio. I have raised this issue and the delays in processing work permits on a number of occasions. However, I would specifically like to refer to the stamp 3 system. This week it was announced that our unemployment rate has dropped to 5.3%, which is a phenomenal achievement, and we are on course to achieve full employment in 2019.

However, the unemployment rate for those seeking stamp 3 visa holders is a whopping 93%. Many of the stamp 3 visa holders work in industries that are currently trying to recruit and where their skills are badly needed, such as information technology, finance, health, education and hospitality. I have just come from a meeting with a very large-scale technology company which is unable to fill more than 1,000 positions it announced last year simply because it cannot recruit people in Ireland or in the EU and it needs stamp 3 visa holders to fill these jobs.

With the threat of Brexit looming and many companies looking to Ireland to expand, companies need to be aware that they can find the skilled workers they require in Ireland. If these workers are stuck in limbo and unable to contribute to our economy, this will be a serious issue for Ireland post-Brexit and into the future. We must be pro-active and address the situation before it escalates to new levels. Ireland is a global economy and this must be clear to those looking to live, work and grow their businesses here.

Moreover, an estimated 80% of stamp 3 visa holders are women. This is a clear loss to our economy. We are not only losing out on the skills and talents of these stamp 3 visa holders, of which more than 90% hold a bachelors' degree and almost 50% hold a masters degree, we are also losing out on their tax contributions. Stamp 3 visa holders are also exempt from our social welfare system and must pay non-EU fees for our higher education institutions. This is not a suitable environment for those who are residing legally in our country. This is seriously affecting the well-being of those we allow into Ireland with more than 90% of those surveyed experiencing low self-esteem due to their lack of access to education and personal development.

Stamp 3 visa holders are not allowed to work in Ireland but are allowed to look for work. Currently, applicants for work permits are forced to wait eight to 12 weeks for their applications to be processed. Additionally, the application for a work permit must be received 12 weeks prior to the start of the employment period. This leads to job offers being withdrawn and the applicants feeling as if they are tourists in a place where they are legally residing. Many employers are not aware of the fact that stamp 3 visa holders are permitted to work. This fact is not made clear on the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, INIS, website and can further hinder stamp 3 visa holders chances of finding work if they are even considered for roles in the first place.

This is not a tenable situation for Ireland. It is not fair nor is it to our benefit. In other EU countries, this is not an issue and it should not be one here. The stamp 3 visa system clearly need to be reformed as well as the waiting time for work permit applications, which I have raised before. This will allow Ireland and our economy to live up to its potential for employees and employers alike. For every business that chooses not to open in Ireland and where a stamp 3 visa holder cannot access a work permit, we are losing out on valuable skills and contributions to our economy. When we allow people to reside legally in Ireland, they should feel welcomed, not ostracised. Forcing these people to live in limbo or untenable situations is not fair and is not the Ireland we should want to portray to the world. This cannot and should not continue for all of our benefit.