Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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131. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason the 100 work permits recently issued for farming only related to dairy farming and did not include the pig and poultry sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55583/21]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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The results of the most recent review of the Occupations Lists were announced on 28 October 2021.

The Interdepartmental Group on Economic Migration considered that changes to the labour market as the economy continues to reopen over the next few months may help alleviate current shortages with an expected increase in available labour for the Pig and Poultry sector.

An allocation of 100 General Employment Permits for the role of Dairy Farm Assistant at the minimum annual remuneration threshold of €30,000 was provided to help alleviate the pressure that this sector is faced with.

This quota, as with all the agricultural quotas announced, will be followed by a strategic review of labour attraction and retention of the sector and should evidence based cases be made to my Department for further changes, they will be examined and acted upon appropriately.

The next Occupational Lists Review will open in the coming months and submissions from the various sectors, including the Agri-food and agriculture sectors, will be invited through a public consultation.

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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132. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of applications for a work permit that have been received by his Department for healthcare assistants following the announcement that healthcare assistants from non-EU/EEA countries could apply for a work permit; the number that have been granted to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55615/21]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland operates a managed employment permits system maximising the benefits of economic migration and minimising the risk of disrupting Ireland’s labour market. The employment permits regime is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages in the State, required to develop and support enterprise for the benefit of our economy. However, this objective must be balanced by the need to ensure that there are no suitably qualified Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work and that the shortage is a genuine one.

The employment permits system is managed through the operation of the critical skills and ineligible occupations lists which determine employments that are either in high demand or are ineligible for consideration for an employment permit and these lists are subject to twice-yearly evidenced based review.

On foot of a review of the Occupations Lists, changes were announced on 14 June 2021 which included providing access to the General Employment Permit for non-EEA nationals wishing to take up employment in the State as a Health Care Assistant. In order to be eligible for the grant of an employment permit, the employment must offer a remuneration level of €27,000 or more. If granted, after two years employment in the State the permit holder must demonstrate they have secured QQI level 5 training in a relevant discipline when applying for a renewal employment permit.

The figures requested by the Deputy in relation to employment permits for the role of Health Care Assistant since the changes to the employment permit system were announced in June 2021 to date are outlined in the table below.