Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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277. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if the reinstatement of career guidance on the list of critical skills employment permits will be considered due to the shortage of guidance counsellors here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26327/18]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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At my request, my Department is currently conducting a review of economic migration policies underpinning the current employment permits system to ensure that our policies are fully supportive of Ireland’s emerging labour market needs, be they skills or labour shortages in certain sectors.  A full report on the review is due by the end of June.  Following on from that Report, it is expected that a review of the Lists of Occupations for Employment Permits will be conducted in the second half of this year. 

Where specific skills prove difficult to source within the State and wider EEA, an employment permit may be sought by an employer to hire a non-EEA national.  The employment permits system is managed in part through the operation of the highly skilled and ineligible lists for the purpose of grant of employment permits.  At present, ‘Career Guidance Teachers’ are listed on the Ineligible List of Occupations (ICEL) for employment permits. 

In order to remove an occupation from the ICEL, organisations in the sector should engage with the relevant lead Department, in this case the Department of Education and Skills, in preparation of a detailed business case setting out the necessary data to substantiate a case for removal from the ICEL.