Written answers

Thursday, 12 November 2009

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Departmental Reports

5:00 pm

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 27: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on publication of the research report entitled Issues and Challenges in the Recruitment and Selection of Immigrant Workers in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40888/09]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The report "Issues and Challenges in the Recruitment and Selection of Immigrant Workers in Ireland", published in July 2009, was prepared by the WRC, Social and Economic Consultants, for the Employers' Diversity Network of the Public Appointments Service. Part-funded by the Office of the Minister for Integration, the research report recounted the experiences of job seekers from different ethnic groups in seeking employment in Ireland and identified particular difficulties that they encountered. The report also examined and commented on the practices and experiences of employers in relation to the recruitment of non-Irish nationals. Set against the background of current difficult labour market conditions, the report offers a valuable insight into the challenges facing immigrant workers and underscores the necessity for employers to ensure that their recruitment processes are fair, diversity friendly and based on equality of opportunity. I would consequently urge employers to make themselves aware of the findings of the report and, where recruitment procedures are found wanting, to act on the guidance it provides.

The Government is determined to manage economic migration in a way that protects the rights of all workers, maintains unemployment at the lowest level possible and ensures successful integration of migrants into Irish society. I welcome the report's recognition of the managed approach to labour migration policy that has been achieved in recent years.

My Department has been concerned to ensure that policies in this area can respond quickly and effectively to changes in Ireland's economic performance. The Employment Permits Act 2006 enabled the implementation of economic migration and employment permits arrangements designed to ensure flexible, responsive and co-ordinated measures for facilitating migrants' entry to the country for the purposes of employment. The granting of an employment permit for a non-EEA national now requires a job offer from a prospective Irish employer who has made every effort to recruit an Irish or EEA national for the post. Through the development of this vacancy-driven policy, Ireland's employment permits system has become more efficient at meeting the needs of the labour market, while at the same time ensuring that those workers who are subject to an employment permit are afforded the protection of the full range of employment rights legislation on a par with Irish and EU nationals.

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