Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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86. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures being taken to improve the efficiency of the work permit system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22168/23]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The number of employment permit applications submitted to my Department increased significantly from 16,449 in 2020, to 27,719 in 2021 and further to 35,606 in 2022 which resulted in a backlog in applications.

The Department developed a plan of action to reduce this backlog and employment permit processing times. Following the successful implementation of the plan, the Employment Permits Unit has reduced the number of applications awaiting processing from approximately 11,000 in January 2022 to 1,686 as of 5th May 2023. This was achieved despite further strong demand. Processing times have fallen from a high of 21 weeks to currently stand at 12-13 business days. The Department plans to maintain processing times for all applications at this level, or reduce them even further, on the assumption that estimated demand remains at current levels for 2023.

The Employment Permits Unit has also introduced a range of measures to assist individuals in submitting applications. Video user guides have been developed guiding applicants through the steps involved in completing and submitting an general employment permit application including undertaking the labour market needs test. Dedicated checklists setting out the requirements for the various types of employment permits have been published on the Departments website.

From October 2022 the Department introduced a new system to refund fees electronically directly to the credit/debit card used to pay for the application. This has resulted in refunds being made within days, as opposed to the multiple weeks this process would have previously taken.

From 16 January 2023 the Department commenced screening all General Employment Permit applications across a small number of key mandatory criteria to ensure compliance with the requirements of this permit type. Should the application fail to provide the required valid information it will be returned with a comprehensive explanation and a full refund. This new process will provide early notification of failed applications while also ensuring that valid applications are processed in a speedy and efficient manner.

In addition, the Department has recently appointed IT systems specialists to undertake the design and implementation of a new online Employment Permits system with the aim of delivering further efficiencies and an improved customer experience.

An efficient and responsive Employment Permit system is a critical component to ensure that talent is attracted to Ireland from non-EEA countries. I am committed to improving the efficiency of administrative processes and making services more customer friendly to the benefit of both employers and potential employees.