Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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787. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if a person (details supplied) can be designated as having the required skills that will enable them to seek work without being dependant on an employer sponsoring them; and the process open to them to pursue this aim. [18201/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The employment of all non-EEA nationals in the State is governed by the Employment Permits Acts 2003 – 2014.  Under this legislation, in order to work in the State all non-EEA nationals require a valid employment permit or relevant immigration permission from the Minister for Justice and Equality which allows them to reside and work in the State without the requirement for an Employment Permit. 

The Employment Permits legislation provides for an actively managed economic migration system that is vacancy-driven and where the offer of a job lies at its core.  All applications for an employment permit are processed in line with the Employment Permits Act 2006, as amended, and any employment permit granted is valid only for the employer and the employment specified therein.

The Irish State’s general policy is to promote the sourcing of labour and skills needs from within the workforce of the State, the European Union and other EEA states.  However, where specific skills prove difficult to source within the EEA, an employment permit may be sought in respect of a non-EEA national who possesses those skills. It should be noted that the State's employment permit system is ordered by the use of lists which determine which employments are highly demanded and which are ineligible for consideration for employment permits at a point in time and these lists are reviewed on an bi-annual basis.  Full information on the current eligibility criteria in relation to employment permits can be found on the Department’s website at .

If any non-EEA national is successful in securing a job offer from an employer in Ireland which falls within those employments eligible for an employment permit they may make an appropriate application.