Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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676. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to include public sector workers during the permit process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44939/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Ireland operates a managed employment permits system, maximising the benefits of economic migration and minimising 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 or labour shortages in the State in the short to medium term. This objective must be balanced by the need to ensure that there are no suitably qualified Irish or EEA nationals available to undertake the work and that the shortage is genuine.  

The system is managed through the operation of the Critical Skills Occupations List and the Ineligible Occupations List setting out, respectively, professional occupations in high demand and occupations not eligible for an employment permit based on availability in the current labour market.  

The Occupations Lists are subject to periodic reviews incorporating a public consultation inviting evidence-based submissions from all sectors. Each review takes account of research undertaken by SOLAS's Skills and Labour Market Research Unit and the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, a public consultation process, input from the relevant policy departments and the Economic Migration Inter-Departmental Group.  

The public sector spans a wide variety of roles and occupations, and eligibility for an employment permit depends on the nature and responsibility of the position.  A number of occupations in the public sector are already eligible for an employment permit, including for example many roles within the healthcare sector.

Certain roles may also be on the and thus permits cannot be issued. Currently this includes SOCs 3561 Public Services Associate Professionals, 4111 National Government Administrative Occupations, 4112 Local Government Administrative Occupations.

As referenced above, I launched a public consultation to review the lists earlier this summer inviting the views of stakeholders to amend the status of occupations on the lists of eligibility.  Where evidence supports a change, an occupation could potentially be considered for addition to the Critical Skills Occupation List or removal from the Ineligible Occupation List. An evidenced-based submission may be submitted to my Department for consideration to this review, with the closing date for submissions set for September 19th at 5pm. 

More information on the Review can be found here: