Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 65 and 82 together.

Currently, a person from outside the European Economic Area must first make an application to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an employment permit, and then make a second application to the Department of Justice for an immigration permission. Both applications are subject to consideration of separate processes requiring different data.

In December 2022, the Taoiseach, in his previous role as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, jointly with the Minister for Justice McEntee, secured the agreement of Government for the establishment of an Inter Departmental Working Group to develop an implementation plan for a streamlined, single application procedure for employment permits and immigration permissions. Over the course of 2023 this Inter-Departmental Working Group, chaired by the Department of Justice, planned for the establishment of a single application procedure, and committed to report to Government an implementation plan, to include relevant timelines, costs and resources. This report is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks. The implementation plan has been developed with a view to opting into the recast Single Permit Directive. The IDG has concluded its work, officials from the Department are supporting Department of Justice in drafting and finalising the Report to Government.

If opted into, the Single Permit Directive would see Ireland adopt a single application procedure for Employment Permits and Visa/Immigrations. This would be a positive step, which would enhance usability, and bring Ireland in line with EU standards with an efficient one-stop-shop process for third country nationals and companies using the system.

The work on a single application procedure takes place in conjunction with other efficiency-gaining initiatives. The current employment permit processing system utilises several ageing IT systems, and DETE is seeking to redevelop these processes using cloud-based solutions. Permit applications will be submitted through a new online portal which will seek to ensure applications are submitted in line with the requirements of that permit type, in order to maximise processing efficiency and provide a quicker turnaround time for users. A new back-end system will also be developed to support the optimal processing of employment permit applications, with comprehensive reporting of key metrics to manage demands on the service. Contracts with an ICT provider were signed in January 2023 with initial development work commencing in February. The technical development phase of the project is underway, and it is anticipated that the project will be completed in Q3 2024.