Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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242. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of non-EEA doctors that are offered critical skills work permits from 2015 to 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50472/21]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Policy responsibility for the medical practitioners falls under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Health.

The employment permits system is managed through the use of lists designating highly skilled and ineligible occupations.  In order to maintain the relevance of these lists of occupations to the needs of the economy and to ensure their ongoing relevance to the State’s human capital requirements, they undergo twice-yearly evidence-based reviews.  

Occupations appearing on the Critical Skills Occupations List, including Medical Practitioners, are eligible to apply for the Critical Skills Employment Permit.  This permit type is designed to attract highly skilled people into the labour market in roles identified as being in critical short supply with the aim of encouraging them to take up permanent residence and employment in the State.  The qualification criteria for this permit includes a two-year job offer, a relevant third level qualification and a minimum remuneration of €32,000. 

Individual contracts of employment and the type of employment permit for which an application is submitted are matters between the employee and employer, in this case the Health Service Executive. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has agreed an arrangement with the HSE to facilitate multi-location rotations without requiring a new employment permit for each medical rotation. 

The statistics requested by the Deputy concerning the figures for Critical Skills Employment Permits provided in respect of non- EEA doctors for the period January 2015 up to and including 12th October 2021 are set out in the table below. 

Critical Skills EmploymentPermits Issued to Doctors from 2015 to 12^thOctober 2021inclusive

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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243. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will consider a programme to encourage non-EEA doctors and their families to work and stay in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50473/21]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Policy responsibility for this sector falls under the remit of my colleague, Mr. Stephen Donnelly T.D., Minister for Health.

The State's employment permit system is designed to supplement Ireland's skills and labour supply over the short to medium term by allowing enterprises to recruit nationals from outside the EEA, where such skills or expertise cannot be sourced from within the EEA at that time. The system is, by design, vacancy led and managed through the operation of the critical skills and ineligible occupation lists. These lists are subject to twice yearly evidence-based review, taking account of labour market research, a public consultation and contextual issues such as Brexit and Covid 19.

Doctors, including non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs), are on the critical skills list and are eligible for the Critical Skills Employment Permit.  The Critical Skills Employment Permit is Ireland's premium employment permit and is targeted at highly skilled people in eligible occupations deemed to be critically important to growing Ireland’s economy, are highly demanded and highly skilled, and in significant shortage of supply in our labour market.  This permit provides for immediate family reunification, broad access to the labour market for dependents, spouses and partners as well as fast tracking to long term residency after two years. The criteria attached to this permit type includes the requirement for the non-EEA national to have secured a job offer of two years.

My Department has worked with the HSE to put in place a process that allows for up to two-year, multi-site applications for Doctors, including NCHDs, for employment permits but any agreement on duration of individual employment contracts is a matter for the HSE and the doctor concerned.