Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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710. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the programme for Government commitments to ensure sufficient employment permits to support the agrifood sector, including the equine, dairy, horticulture, fish and food processing industries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37654/25]

Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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711. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for Government commitments to ensure sufficient employment permits to support the agrifood sector, including the equine, dairy, horticulture, fish and food processing industries; what engagement he or his Department has had with officials in the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in respect of the efficient processing of general employment permits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37655/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 710 and 711 together.

My colleague the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment has policy and operational responsibility for employment permits. Arising from my ongoing engagement with sector stakeholders, my Department is in regular contact with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) regarding the labour shortages that exist in certain sub-sectors of agri-food.

Where there has been difficulty recruiting sufficient labour from within Ireland and the European Economic Area, my Department continues to work closely with 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. I am informed that 3,626 employment permits issued in 2024 to the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Sector, of which 1,912 were new permits and 1,714 were renewals. Agri-food was the sector in receipt of the second most General Employment Permits last year, followed by the healthcare sector.

In addition, the Seasonal Employment Permit (SEP) Pilot Scheme launched earlier this year. This permit is a short-term employment permit for a non-EEA national to work for a maximum of 7 months per calendar year in a seasonally recurrent employment. It is designed to support targeted economic sectors, such as horticulture, in addressing labour shortages.

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