Charles Ward (Donegal, 100% Redress Party)
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704. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the details of the average processing time for employment permit appeals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46593/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The employment permits system operates under the Employment Permits Act 2024, which provides the statutory framework for the granting, refusal, and review of employment permit applications. The system is designed to support Ireland’s labour market needs by allowing non-EEA nationals to take up employment in sectors where skills or labour shortages exist, subject to defined eligibility criteria.

Where an employment permit application is refused, the applicant has access to a statutory review mechanism under section 17 of the Act. This allows for the decision to be reconsidered, taking into account any additional information or clarification provided by the applicant.

In recent months, the Employment Permits Section of my Department has experienced a significant increase in the volume of appeals, particularly in the food and hospitality sector. This has contributed to longer processing times for appeals, which currently average approximately five months. A substantial proportion of these appeals relate to chef roles refused on the basis that the proposed employment settings were deemed to fall within the definition of a fast food establishment. This definition was revised in 2024 to ensure that employment permits are granted only for chef positions, in line with the policy intent of the employment permits system.

The Department has prioritised the allocation of resources to maintain timely processing of initial employment permit applications, which is essential to supporting enterprise and labour market needs.

The Department expects that the number of appeals will reduce over time following the introduction of the new Employment Permits Online (EPO) system in April 2025. The new system includes enhanced front-end validation and guidance features, which will help ensure that applications are complete and compliant at the point of submission. This is expected to reduce refusals on technical or procedural grounds and, consequently, the volume of appeals.

The Department remains committed to improving appeal processing times and continues to monitor the situation closely.