Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

160. To ask the Minister for Health if a matter raised in correspondence regarding a crisis in staffing level in a location (details supplied) will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23024/18]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The State’s general policy is to promote the sourcing of labour and skills needs from within the workforce of the State and other EEA states. Where specific skills prove difficult to source within the State and EEA, an employment permit may be sought from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation by an employer to hire a non-EEA national.

Ireland operates a managed employment permits system which maximises the benefits of economic migration while minimising the risk of disrupting Ireland’s labour market. It operates a list system for in-demand occupations (the highly skilled list) and those for whom a ready source of labour is available (the ineligible list).

Care workers are currently included on the ineligible list of employments.  Changes to access to the Irish labour market for specific occupations via the employment permits system are made on the basis of evidence which involves research undertaken by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs and the National Skills Council in tandem with an extensive public consultation process with Government Departments, agencies, industry and social partners invited to provide observations.

Retention issues in the State’s labour market should not be addressed through the deployment of the employment permits system.  There would need to be a clear demonstration that recruitment difficulties are solely due to shortages and not to other factors such as salary and/or working conditions.  Organisations such as Nursing Home Ireland would need to provide the necessary data to substantiate their claims.  A detailed business case for removal of care workers from the ineligible list would then need to be put forward by my Department to DBEI.

While I have had various meetings with Nursing Homes Ireland and this matter has been discussed, to date such detailed evidence has not been provided by the sector to my Department.  It should be noted that the overall policy is that recruitment of workers from non-EEA countries should be a last resort and all other avenues should be first exhausted. However, I am very willing to work with the industry on this important issue to ensure continuity of service in the best interests of residents.