Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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123. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which she can assist companies and sole traders seeking to employ persons from outside the EU; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4925/19]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In order to work in Ireland a non-EEA National, unless they are exempted, must hold a valid Employment Permit. The Employment Permits Section of my Department administers the Employment Permits system.  All applications for employment permits are processed in line with the employment permits acts and associated regulations which lay down in legislation the criteria in relation to the application and grant and refusal of an employment permit.

To be eligible to apply for an employment permit a non-EEA national must have a valid job offer from an Irish registered employer.

In order to assist with the application process, the Department has produced a suite of information to assist in the application process including various checklist documents, a ‘User Guide' to our online application system and a comprehensive FAQ Document which answers the most common queries received regarding employment permits.  All this information can be found in the Employment Permit section of the Department’s website at www.dbei.gov.ie. 

My officials are also available by phone on LoCall 1890 201 616 or by e-mail at employmentpermits@dbei.gov.ie to answer any queries regarding employment permits. 

In addition officials from the Department regularly engage directly with stakeholders, and have been invited by various representative groups such as the Irish Farmers Association and the Construction Industry Federation to deliver presentations on the employment permit system.  Officials also attended both the Tullamore Show and the National Ploughing Championships as part of this engagement process.