Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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91. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps that he is taking to address the bus driver shortage in Ireland; if he will address the delays in issuing work permits for immigrant workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55344/22]

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 regime is designed to accommodate the arrival of non-EEA nationals to fill skills and labour gaps for the benefit of our economy, in the short to medium term, and is managed through the operation of the Critical Skills and Ineligible Occupations Lists which determine roles that are either in critical short supply or are ineligible for an employment permit.

The role of Bus Driver is currently on the Ineligible Occupations List and, as such, an employment permit cannot be granted for this occupation.

In order to have an occupation considered for adding to or removal from the Occupations Lists, or for a quota to be created, recruitment difficulties should be demonstrated as due to shortages across the EEA and not to other factors such as salary and/or employment conditions. Sectors are also required to engage structurally with the public employment service of the Department of Social Protection.

Submissions will be invited from sector representative bodies and interested parties via the Public Consultation Form which will be accessible on the Department’s website throughout the consultation period when the next Review of the Occupational Lists commences.

My Department chairs the Interdepartmental Group to oversee the review process which includes membership drawn from senior officials of key departments including the Department of Transport who have policy responsibility for this sector. Officials from my Department are engaging with colleagues in the Department of Transport on the need for the role of Bus Driver to be eligible for employment permits.

My Department continues to keep the employment permits system under review in light of changing labour market circumstances and the timing of the next Review of the Occupational Lists will be kept under consideration.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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92. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has plans to re-open the application process for work permits for farming, including the pig and poultry sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55372/22]

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.

Four occupations in the farming sector have been provided with quotas of General Employment Permits including Dairy Farm Assistant (100 GEPs), Horticulture Operative (1000 GEPs), Meat Deboner (500 GEPs), and Meat Processor Operative (1500 GEPs). The quotas for Dairy Farm Assistant and Meat Processor Operative have now been filled.

The quotas were opened with a proviso that a strategic review on labour attraction and retention in the agri-food sector be carried out in order to put in place more sustainable solutions for meeting the labour needs of the sector.

This review will influence the decision on the eligibility for employment permits for the farming sector into the future, guided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, as lead policy department for the sector.