Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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225. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the way a non-European Economic Area migrant can apply for an Irish work permit to work on an Irish fishing vessel that operates in Ireland’s territorial waters, or to work on vessels or on the dock while they are in Irish ports; the employment legislation that is applicable in this case for such persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39489/15]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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226. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he is considering proposals to grant work permits to migrants from outside the European Economic Area to work on Irish fishing vessels that operate in Ireland’s territorial waters, or to work on vessels or on the dock while they are in Irish ports with a view to dealing with crew shortages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39490/15]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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227. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he is considering regularising the status of non-European Economic Area seafarers to permit such persons to apply for work permits which would afford them the same health and employment rights as local crew members, following a request by industry stakeholders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39491/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 225 to 227, inclusive, together.

A number of factors are relevant when considering non-European Economic Area migrants as applicants for Employment Permits to work in the Irish fishing sector. The most significant of these factors is the prevalence in the industry of the “share fishermen” model, under which the fishermen are categorised as self-employed. The Irish employment permits system is predicated on the existence of an employment relationship between an identifiable employer in the State and his/her employee. As there would appear to be a genuine model in the sector of self-employed share fishermen, such individuals would be outside the scope of the Employment Permits system.

A second relevant factor is the lack of evidence to date pointing to a skills shortage in the sector that cannot be filled from within the EEA. As a result, all fishing occupations are currently specified as ineligible occupations for the purposes of the employment permits system on the “Ineligible Categories of Employment” List (ICEL). This List is reviewed twice yearly with input from relevant Government Departments, Agencies, Trades Unions and industry. In the context of the review currently underway, I have invited fish producers’ organisations to make a submission on the case for removing fishermen from the list.

In order to examine wide range of issues facing the Irish fishing sector and workers within that sector, the Government decided last week to immediately establish an Inter-Departmental Taskforce chaired by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney. The Taskforce had its first meeting on the fifth of November and will meet again this week. It has set itself a very tight timeframe in which to come up with proposals for Government and I look forward to considering these, together with my Cabinet colleagues.