Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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21. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if consideration is being given to extending the validity of documentation (details supplied); if automatic extensions will be granted as a result of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9797/21]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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In March 2020, the Employment Permits Section of my Department implemented a COVID-19 contingency plan to ensure that the employment permit regime could continue to operate throughout the crisis. Since 30th March, the employment permit system has been operating fully remotely and online with new applications and renewals continuing to be processed seamlessly.

Operational practices have been adjusted to replace the paper-based elements of the service to allow for a fully online process involving electronic/scanned documents and all decisions/outcomes now issue via e-mail rather than by post. Agreement was reached with the Immigration Service Delivery in the Department of Justice and Equality on arrangements to introduce, on a temporary basis, a type of “e-employment permit” and a similar soft copy process to transition to permanent residence permission.

All employment permits remain valid for the full length of time of the duration stated on the permit thus allowing permit holders to take up employment at any stage during the validity of the permit.

Full details in relation to the contingency arrangements introduced by the Employment Permits Section in response to the pandemic can be accessed on my Department's website through the following link: