Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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1444.To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when the Inter-Departmental Working Group examining the operational, policy and legal considerations of simplifying the process for employment permits and immigration permissions is due to report; if family reunification is part of the review, making the participation of immigrants easier in working life in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31189/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Migration plays an essential and very positive role in Ireland’s society and economy. Legal migration pathways are vital to addressing labour shortages across the economy. Our success in ensuring we can attract and retain the skills our economy needs has been a key driver of economic growth in Ireland.

In order to ensure that these pathways are as efficient and convenient as possible, my colleague the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment and have obtained Government approval for our plan to introduce a single permit to both work and live in Ireland.

This decision was informed by work of an Inter-Departmental Working Group (IDWG), which was established to examine the implications of a single permit; and to develop an implementation plan which would allow for the possibility of opting in to the Single Permit Directive. Early this year the IDWG reported back to Government that it is feasible to begin implementation of the single permit and to opt-in to the Directive.

As you are aware, currently, to work in Ireland, a person from a country outside the European Economic Area has to first make an application for an employment permit, and then make a second application for a visa, if from a visa-required country, and then finally apply for an immigration permission following their arrival.

The interdepartmental group developed a detailed plan for how to streamline and unify these steps and an implementation team has now been established between the two Departments to put that plan into effect. Once the single permit is implemented, Ireland would also then be able to opt-in to the EU Single Permit Directive.

Work to facilitate the adoption of the single permit will be completed over the course of the next three years. In the short term a number of actions will be taken to streamline the existing process, including removal of duplication in the data sought from applicants and in the related checks, as well as the introduction of a single payment mechanism. These steps will simplify the process for applicants and employers, while work takes place to develop a common application platform.

These measures form one part of an overall range of actions being take to ensure Ireland's employment and immigration authorisation system meets the needs of our society and economy.

Insofar as family reunification is concerned, the Policy Document for Non-EEA Family Reunification, which was last amended in 2016, is currently under review. The review is examining a wide range of matters relating to applications for family reunification including the nature and suitability of current income thresholds and waiting periods. Officials from my Department have consulted with a wide variety of stakeholders, including relevant Government departments and organisations such as the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland and Crosscare. That engagement will continue and my expectation is that the review will be brought to conclusion later this year.

While I fully understand that all people moving to Ireland to live and work would wish to have their family join them, the issues to be examined as part of a family reunification application are complex. An important consideration in all family reunification applications, for example, is the ability of the sponsor to demonstrate a clear capacity to provide for their family member(s) if they are to be granted a permission to come to Ireland.

I can also confirm that, with effect from 15 May 2024, the first part of the review was implemented in that eligible spouses and partners of General Employment Permit and Intra-Corporate Transferee Irish Employment Permit holders, who have applied for and been granted family reunification, in accordance with the Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy, will now be registered on a Stamp 1G permission, rather than a Stamp 3. This will allow the holder to take up employment without the need to obtain a separate Employment Permit of their own.