Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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287. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality his views on a recommendation (details supplied) as contained in the National Competitiveness Council report, Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge 2017; his plans to implement this policy recommendation; and the timeframe for implementation. [4057/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Education and Skills, announced changes to the Third Level Graduate Programme in May 2017. This is an immigration programme aimed at facilitating high-performing non-EEA graduates to remain and work in Ireland after their graduation from an Irish Higher Education Institute.  

The Graduate Programme was improved to provide highly skilled graduates with an opportunity to remain and work in the State for up to 24 months (as opposed to twelve months previously). This was in recognition of the fact that Ireland’s international education strategy recognises that attracting students from across the globe is good for Ireland as well as good for the students themselves.

The Graduate Programme gives students from outside the EEA real opportunities to remain on in the State following graduation.  They can become part of the workforce and progress, if they so choose, to a career path in Ireland by advancing to a critical skills employment permit, general employment permit or research hosting agreement from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, meeting the skills and language needs of the Irish economy.  This is in line with the recommendations of the International Education Strategy for Ireland 2016 to 2020 and the National Competitiveness Council’s Report.  Extensive guidance on the qualifying criteria for the Scheme are detailed on the website of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) ( ).

As regards the question of fees for subsequent employment permits, the Deputy will appreciate that the operation of the employment permits scheme, including the fee structure, is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Business Enterprise and Innovation.