Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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46. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her views on the request from an organisation (details supplied) for her Department to ease restrictions on the issuing of work permits for foreign workers in the racing industry. [14435/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The State's general policy with regard to the employment of non-EEA nationals is to promote the sourcing of labour and skills needs from within the workforce of Ireland and the European Economic Area. The employment permits system is intended to offer an interim solution for employers where specific skills prove difficult to source within the EEA. The system offers a route into the Irish labour market for non-EEA nationals with in-demand skills. It is operated as a vacancy-led system. Vacancies must be for eligible occupations – the system is ordered by the use of lists of highly skilled and ineligible occupations, which are reviewed bi-annually.

Work riders are currently included on the Ineligible Categories of Employment List, as research undertaken by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, which underpins the review of the lists, has not indicated that there is any shortage of such workers.

The next review of the lists is due to commence in April, and at that time, submissions to the review will be invited from interested parties – this is the mechanism whereby stakeholder input to the review process is accessed. The organisation in question may wish to make a submission to the review at that time.  An official of my Department will advise this organisation when the requests for submissions is opened.