Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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255. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the current number of work permits allocated for motor/auto mechanics; if he proposes to increase that number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10578/24]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The 2023 Review of the Employment Permits Occupation Lists has delivered comprehensive changes to the employment permits system, with changes to the eligibility of 43 occupation for either a General Employment Permit (GEP) or a Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP).

A number of new quotas were opened up to provide GEP access for previously ineligible occupations such as that of Car Mechanic. A quota of 200 GEPs was opened for the occupation of car mechanic. An additional quota of 200 GEPs was also opened for the role of HGV/bus mechanic.

As these quotas have only recently been available, only 6 of the car mechanic quota and 4 of the HGV/Bus mechanic quota have been issued. Consequently, there are no plans to increase these quotas at the present time. The next Review of the Occupations Lists will again by way of a public consultation, provide stakeholders in the motor trade with the opportunity to make evidence-based submissions to help inform the decision-making process of the Interdepartmental Group on Economic Migration Policy.

A summary of the changes from the 2023 Review of the Employment Permit Occupations Lists is available in a Report on the Department’s website.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The final Report of the Interdepartmental Group on Economic Migration Policy containing the outcome of the Review of the Employment Permit Occupations Lists was published on the Department's website on the 20th of December last.

The report details comprehensive changes to the employment permits system, with 43 changes to the jobs eligible for an employment permit and the extension of existing quotas. It also contains the outcome of a concurrent review which sets out changes to the Minimum Annual Remuneration (MAR) thresholds for employment permits. This can be found in the Publications section of the Department’s website.

The amendments to the Employment Permits Regulations have also been published on the Department's website.