Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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88. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update in relation to work permits for bus drivers from non-EU and non-EEA countries and the possible inclusion of bus drivers on the critical skills list due to the current driver shortages being experienced across the system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9034/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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My Department engaged with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in Q4 2022 in relation to work permits for bus drivers from non-EU and non-EEA Countries and the possible inclusion of bus drivers on the critical skills list due to the current driver shortages being experienced across the system. My Department engaged with all PSO operators, including Bus Éireann, and representatives from the commercial bus sector as part of this process.

As a result of this engagement, in December 2022 the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment announced that changes had been made to the permit system to help ease the recruitment challenges being faced in the transport sector with the establishment of a quota of 1,500 employment permits for bus and coach drivers. These changes came into effect on the 16th of December.

It should be noted that driver recruitment has improved. For example, in December 2022, Dublin Bus reported that the company recruited 319 drivers since January 2022.