Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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548.To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the visa options for an individual (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31322/24]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Ireland operates a managed employment permits system maximising the benefits of economic migration and minimising the risk of disrupting Ireland’s labour market. The regime is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages in the State, in order to develop and support enterprise for the benefit of our economy.

Under the Employment Permit Acts in order to work in the State all non-EEA nationals require a valid employment permit or relevant immigration permission from the Minister for Justice which allows them to reside and work in the State without the requirement for an Employment Permit.

All Employment Permit applications are processed in line with the Employment Permits Act 2006, as amended and are dependent on a job offer from an Irish registered Employer for an eligible occupation. It should be noted that the State's employment permit system is ordered by the use of occupation lists which determine the employments which are in high demand, and those which are ineligible for consideration for employment permits.

The role of a football coach is an eligible occupation for a Sports and Cultural Employment Permit. The Sport and Cultural Employment Permit is designed to facilitate the employment in the State of non-EEA nationals with the relevant qualifications, skills, experience or knowledge for the development, operation and capacity of sporting and cultural activities. To be considered for a Sports and Cultural Employment Permit, a letter of support from the relevant sporting body is required to be submitted with an application. The annual remuneration on offer must be at least the national minimum wage, which is €12.70 per hour for a 39-hour working week. Sport and Cultural Employment Permits may be issued for differing periods depending on whether the contract of employment is full-time up to a maximum of 2 years, or seasonal.

Further information in relation to Sport and Cultural Employment Permits is available on the Department’s website and can be accessed through this link:-

General information is provided on the Department’s website in respect of employment permits including information regarding to each permit type, the requirement to undertake a Labour Market Needs Test, list of occupations ineligible for an employment permit, Checklist documents for a General and Critical Skills Employment Permit and an FAQ document which answers the majority of the most common questions, all of which are available through this link –

All matters in relation to immigration permissions and visas are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, and all visa-related queries should be directed to that Department.