Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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104. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 160, 161, 163, 164 and 166 of 1 December 2022, the position of the person, who having secured full-time employment while on a G1 graduate visa, has now been informed they must fulfil the labour market needs test to secure a work permit which was not originally required when they applied for and secured the position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61037/22]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Under the Employment Permit Acts, in order to work in the State all non-EEA nationals require a valid Employment Permit or relevant immigration permission from the Minister for Justice which allows them to reside and work in the State without the requirement for an Employment Permit.

The Irish State’s general policy is to promote the sourcing of labour and skills needs from within the workforce of the European Union and other EEA states. However, where specific skills prove difficult to source within the EEA, an employment permit may be sought in respect of a non-EEA national who possess those skills.

All Employment Permit applications are processed in line with the Employment Permits Act 2006, as amended.

The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that if an individual is seeking an Employment Permit for the role concerned as in this instance, the Employment Permits Legislation states that a Labour Market Needs Test is required. As this is a legislative requirement, no discretion can be allowed.

Information is provided on the Department’s website in respect of all employment permits including information regarding to each permit type, Checklist documents for a General Employment Permits and an FAQ document which answers the majority of the most common questions, including in relation to the requirements of the Labour Market Means Test, are available on the Department's website – enterprise.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Employment-Permits/

Immigration permissions, including Stamp 1G permission, are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, and any such queries should be directed to that Department.