Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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437. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment whether the increase in the minimum salary requirement for new general employment permits to €39,000 will apply to existing permit holders when they apply for permit renewal after 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1218/24]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The minimum annual remuneration thresholds for an employment permit are those set by the employment permits legislation as one of a range of minimum requirements governing eligibility for the grant of a permit. The roadmap of remuneration increases announced in December sets out a plan to raise the thresholds for third country permit holders across 2024, 2025 and 2026.

The amendments announced on 20th December are implemented through new Employment Permits Regulations with the revised remuneration thresholds taking effect from 17 January 2024. The revised thresholds will be applicable to new applications and renewal applications. Therefore, any new or renewal applications submitted to the Department before that date are subject to the 2023 threshold. Any applications submitted on or after 17 January will be subject to the new threshold.

As with the threshold adjustments occurring on January 17 2024, all renewals received on or after the date of the commencement of subsequent adjustments will be subject to those adjusted minimum remuneration thresholds.

The thresholds act as a floor in order to be eligible for the grant of an employment permit, but do not establish a level of remuneration for an occupation. Contractual arrangements and terms of employment including rates of appropriate remuneration (above the minimum requirements) are outside of the employment permits system.

All workers in the State are ensured of their employment rights and the employment permits legislation provides for a number of protections including where an employment permit holder might find themselves outside the employment permits system or be subject to cessation of employment.

In addition, the Employment Permits Bill aims to enhance the rights of migrant workers by ensuring remuneration thresholds remain, at least, in line with average wage growth. This will be achieved by indexation against the Annual Change in Mean Weekly Earnings as calculated by the CSO. The Bill will also allow General Employment Permit and Critical Skills Employment Permit holders to transfer employer without the requirement to apply for a new employment permit after an initial period has passed from the start of their first employment in the State.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank the organisation for their correspondence and appreciation of the changes announced at the end of last year to the employment permits system. I am actively engaging with a number of the relevant sectoral stakeholders in regards to the implementation of the salary threshold increase associated with the role healthcare assistant.

The minimum annual remuneration thresholds are intended to act as a payment floor in order to be eligible for the grant of an employment permit. They are not intended to establish a level of remuneration for an occupation. Contractual arrangements and terms of employment including rates of appropriate remuneration (above the minimum requirements) for employees are a matter for the employer and employee outside of the employment permits system.

The roadmap of remuneration increases announced in December sets out a plan to continue raising the thresholds for third country permit holders across 2024, 2025 and 2026, thus further enhancing their access to rights to family reunification permissions provided by the Minister for Justice.