Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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173. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding work permits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27242/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with our EU obligations, employment permits policy is calibrated to encourage the meeting of general labour and skills needs from within the workforce of the EU and other European Economic Area (EEA) countries. Ireland's labour market is part of a much greater EEA labour market which affords a considerable supply of skilled workers. Where specific skills prove difficult to source within the EEA, an employment permit may be sought to hire a non-EEA national. The Employment Permit (Amendment) Act 2014 provides the flexibility to deal with changing labour market, work patterns and economic development needs which often require rapid response. The Regulations, as provided for in the Act, are being reviewed and adapted on a biannual basis to reflect the exigencies of a changing enterprise environment. They, inter alia, stipulate two types of occupation for the purposes of the employment permits system: the Highly Skilled Eligible Occupations Lists (HSEOL) sets out the lists of eligible occupations deemed to be critically important to growing Ireland’s economy, are highly demanded and highly skilled, and are in significant shortage of supply in our labour market. This list is an integral part of the Critical Skills Employment Permitwhich is designed to attract highly skilled people into the labour market with the aim of encouraging them to take up permanent residence in the State. The Ineligible Categories of Employment List includes those occupations for which there is a clear surplus of adequately skilled Irish and EEA nationals in the wider labour force.

My Department has devised a process of reviewing and updating the HSEOL and Ineligible Categories of Employment List for employment permits bi-annually. This review is predicated on a formalised and evidence-based process. Such a process involves obtaining and considering advice from the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) and Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SMLRU - SOLAS). It also involves input from relevant Government Departments, Agencies, and industry as necessary.

The EGFSN’s Annual Skills Bulletincontributes principally to my Department’s ongoing monitoring of the labour market. This Bulletin draws on data on employment, vacancies, job announcements and immigration and other qualitative information held in the National Skills Database (in SOLAS), to identify imbalances in the Irish labour market at occupational level.

The inclusion of massage therapists on the Ineligible Categories of Employment List was informed by the work of the EGFSN. However, the periodic review process provides an opportunity to interested parties to make representations on the composition of the lists.

New employment permits cannot be granted for occupations included on the Ineligible List, as they are proscribed in Regulations pursuant to the Employment Permits Acts.

However, those employees who are currently working on the basis of employment permits granted prior to the commencement of the Employment Permits (Amendment) Act 2014 and associated Regulations may continue to work on the basis of those permits and may seek their renewal upon expiry. Unfortunately, while massage therapists remain on the Ineligible Categories of Employment for an Employment Permit List, new applications for massage therapists cannot be granted.