Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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107. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of the various categories of work permits such as critical skills permit for non-EU nationals per industry that sector have been granted to companies in the mid-west region over the past two years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43894/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Irish State’s general policy is to promote the sourcing of labour and skills needs from within the workforce of Ireland, the European Union and other EEA states. Policy in relation to the application and granting of employment permits remains focused on facilitating the recruitment from outside the EEA of highly skilled personnel, where the requisite skills cannot be met by normal recruitment or by training. 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. The system is vacancy driven and if any non-EEA national is successful in securing a job offer from any employer in Ireland which falls within those employments eligible for an employment permit then an appropriate application may be made.

I set out in the attached document the numbers of employment permits issued for the mid-west region for 2015, 2016 and 2017 to-date broken down by permit type and economic sector. The Department also publishes statistics on it's website which includes numbers of permits issued by company name. These can be found at .

Employment Permits issued for the Mid-West 2017 (up to 13/10/2017)

Employment Permits issued for the Mid-West 2016