Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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947. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the review of the critical skills occupations list and the ineligible occupations list will take into consideration issues related to low pay, downward pressures on wages and the availability of housing, in addition to the needs of the labour market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43357/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Minister Burke and I announced the launch of the public consultation which invites all stakeholders and users of the employment permits system to submit their observations on the current status and eligibility of occupations for employment permits.

The review of the Critical Skills Occupations List and the Ineligible Occupations List is a key part of ensuring that Ireland’s employment permit system remains responsive to the needs of the labour market. This review is conducted periodically by my Department with submissions open to the public, relevant stakeholders and all interested parties. Submissions received during the review process are considered carefully and discussed with lead Government Departments to ensure that any changes made are well informed and effective in addressing the labour market needs.

In carrying out this review, a broad range of factors are considered. These include current and projected labour market needs, skills shortages, economic impact, and the availability of suitably skilled workers both domestically and within the wider European Economic Area.

My Department also recognises that the employment permit system should support fair and sustainable employment practices. As such, issues related to low pay and downward pressure on wages shaped the outcome of our last review, with minimum annual remuneration increases implemented at the same time as other changes.

While the primary focus of the review remains on labour market needs, these additional considerations are taken into account, particularly through consultation with relevant departments such as the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Department of Social Protection.

This Government is committed to a balanced approach that supports economic growth and enterprise development, while also protecting labour standards and ensuring the long-term sustainability of our workforce and communities.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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948. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the list of occupations currently subject to quotas for work visas; the number of visas issued for each of these occupations in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43358/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Ireland operates a managed employment permits system maximising the benefits of economic migration and minimising disruption to Ireland’s labour market.

The system is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages required to develop and support enterprise for the benefit of our economy. However, this objective must be balanced by the need to ensure no suitably qualified Irish/EEA nationals are available to undertake the work and that the shortage is genuine one.

The system is, by design, vacancy led and managed through the operation of the occupation lists: the critical skills list in respect of highly skill professional roles that are in critical shortage in the labour market and the ineligible occupations lists for which a source of labour should be available from within Ireland and the EEA.

In order to maintain the relevance of these lists of occupations to the needs of the economy and to ensure the employment permits system is aligned with current labour market intelligence, these lists undergo periodic reviews guided by available research. Where appropriate, applications can be made to increase quotas or remove roles from the quota system entirely, subject to evidence demonstrating sustained demand and shortages.

The table below shows the list of roles which have recently been subject to quota restrictions, and the number of permits issued from each quota.