Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My colleague the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment has lead responsibility for employment permits. Arising from my ongoing engagement with our sector stakeholders, my Department is in regular contact with that Department regarding the labour shortages that exist in certain sub-sectors of agri-food. I am informed that 1,385 employment permits were issued in 2023 to the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector, including the meat processing and horticulture sectors, of which seven employment permits were taken up in Clare.

In sectors such as horticulture, dairy and pig farming, where there has been difficulty recruiting enough labour from within Ireland and the European Economic Area, my Department continues to work closely with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) to ensure that there are employment permits made available to recruit additional labour, while recognising that this should be the last resort for filling vacancies. Following a public consultation in 2023 to review the eligibility of occupations for employment permits by DETE, an extension of 2,700 permits for some occupations in the agriculture sector was announced, and these are now available. My Department is also working closely with DETE on the introduction of a seasonal employment permit facility in new employment permit legislation currently before the Oireachtas, with a view to having a pilot seasonal employment permit for the horticulture sector operational in 2025.

I will continue to work closely with the sector and with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to help ensure that there is sufficient labour available to the agriculture sector.