Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 71: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on the discrepancy between Central Statistics Office projections of 20,000 immigrants per annum and estimates by FÁS that some 30,000 migrant workers will be required annually to sustain the economy here; and the planning mechanism he intends to put in place to monitor and manage migrant labour into Ireland. [11382/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I have been informed that Population and Labour Force Projections 2006-2036, which was published last year by the Central Statistics Office, includes two alternative projections for net inward migration between 2006 and 2011. The first projection, which is based on the continuance of the present rate of strong economic growth, estimates that net annual migration in those years will average 30,000. The alternative projection, which is based on moderate levels of growth, is 20,000 per annum. FÁS uses the higher figure in its Irish Labour Market Review 2005, which was published on 20 December 2005.

As regards the second part of the question, I refer the Deputy to my comments on Second Stage of the Employment Permits Bill 2005 on 12 October 2005, when I informed the House of new arrangements for the management of new economic migration arrangements. It is planned to introduce a green card system which will include a gateway to permanent or long-term residency for highly skilled and highly paid positions and to strengthen the labour market test for other occupations.