Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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504. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of work permits granted by his Department in each year from 2007 to present; if he will tabulate the nationalities of the workers in receipt of these work permits; the sectors for these work permits were granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37383/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Data in respect of employment permit activity covering the period specified by the Deputy is tabulated hereunder. As the figures show, there has been a significant reduction over the period in question in the numbers of permits issued each year, which reflects the contraction in the economy that took place over that time.

The overriding objective of my Department's Employment Permit system is to help attract from outside the European Economic Area those skills we cannot source from within it and which Ireland needs in order to exploit the potential for growth in high performing sectors.

As the data shows, permits issued in the industry, medical and services sectors, the latter in particular encompassing the majority of ICT related permits, constitute almost 90% of the permits issued to the end of August this year.

To enhance this targeted approach to economic migration, I hope to have the Employment Permits Bill 2013 enacted during this Dail term, in order to provide more flexible and targeted instruments in support of the economy's evolving skill needs.

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