Written answers
Wednesday, 11 October 2023
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Work Permits
Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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81. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 51 of 29 June 2023, the number of employment permits issued in respect of non-EEA home care workers since the start of January 2023; the number of applications refused; the number of applications pending; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44242/23]
Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Following the changes announced by my department in December 2022 to address the skills shortages in Ireland's home care sector, a quota of 1,000 general employment permits in respect of care workers and home carers was established.
The number of employment permits issued and refused in this category since January 2023 is set out below.
| Month of issue | Number issued | Number refused | Grand Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3 | 3 | |
| February | 13 | 1 | 14 |
| March | 34 | 5 | 39 |
| April | 10 | 10 | |
| May | 45 | 45 | |
| June | 41 | 3 | 44 |
| July | 40 | 40 | |
| August | 37 | 2 | 39 |
| September | 38 | 5 | 43 |
| Up to 5 October | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| Total | 263 | 20 | 283 |
The approximate number of applications awaiting processing are outlined in the table below. As the standard occupational classification (SOC) code is only applied to the application at processing stage, it is not possible to give an exact number, the numbers below are an approximate estimate (based on a keyword search).
| Applications received awaiting processing | Healthcare Assistant (Home Carer) | 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Home Care | 1 | |
| Home Care Assistant | 10 | |
| Home Carer | 6 | |
| Home Support Worker | 4 | |
| Awaiting Information | Home Carer | 1 |
| Grand Total | 27 |
Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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82. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44282/23]
Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that a Critical Skills Employment Permit application for the person concerned in the details supplied was received on 29thSeptember 2023. The application concerned is currently awaiting processing.
As of 6thOctober 2023, the Employment Permits section are processing new applications in respect of standard employers received on 11thSeptember. Therefore, it is expected that the application concerned will be considered in the next few weeks.
The Employment Permits Section of the Department notes that a previous application for the individual concerned in the details supplied was refused. The refusal reasons were explained to the applicant in the refusal letter that issued. The new application must include all the required documentation as outlined in the previous refusal letter and offer the correct remuneration for the permit type in order to be successful.
Processing dates for all permit types are available on the Department's website at Current processing dates - DETE (enterprise.gov.ie)
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