Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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237. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if an employment permit will be granted to a person (details supplied); and the recourse the person has to maintain current employment and progress the person's career in this role. [11587/19]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Employment Permits Section of my Department inform me that it has no record of any application for an employment permit for the above named person (details supplied).

The State's general policy is to promote the sourcing of labour and skills needs from within the domestic and/or other EEA countries. Where specific skills prove difficult to source within the State/EEA, an employment permit may be sought by an employer to hire a non-EEA national in line with the Employment Permits Acts and associated Regulations which lay down in legislation the criteria in relation to the application, grant and refusal of an employment permit.

In order to apply for an employment permit a non-EEA national must have a secured a job offer for an eligible occupation from an Irish registered employer.

Details on how to apply for an employment permit are available on our website at the following link -

My officials have produced a comprehensive Frequently Asked Question document covering all aspects of the Employment Permits regime which is available here -

The employment permits system is managed through the operation of the Highly Skilled Eligible Occupations List and Ineligible Categories of Employment List for the purposes of granting an employment permit. The role of Community Employment Supervisor is currently ineligible for an employment permit.

Changes to access to the Irish labour market for specific occupations via the employment permits system are made on the basis of research undertaken by the Expert Group of Future Skills Needs, the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (Solas) and, coordinated by the National Skills Council, the annual National Skills Bulletin and the annual Vacancy Overview Report in tandem with a public consultation process.

A review of the lists of occupations for employment permits is currently being finalised with a further review to take place in the second half of the year. In order to remove a skill from this list, there needs to be a clear demonstration that recruitment difficulties are solely due to shortages across the EEA and not to other factors such as salary and/or employment conditions. Organisations in the sector would need to provide the necessary data to substantiate their claims. A detailed evidence-based case for removal of Community Employment Supervisors from the ineligible list, based on this detailed data would then need to be put forward through the lead policy Department, in this instance the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, to my Department for review and consideration by a standing Interdepartmental Group.

It is open to the named individual, subject to obtaining a job offer, to apply for an employment permit in respect of an employment that is eligible for an employment permit.

Finally, it should be noted that my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, has responsibility for issuing immigration permissions and visas.