Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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590. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the flexibility set out in section 22 of the Employment Permits Act 2024 could be applied to a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58241/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The restriction on the granting of an employment permit based on the ratio of EEA employees to non-EEA employees, known as the 50:50 rule, is one of a set of measures designed to protect the domestic/EEA labour market. It is set out in sections 22 and 39 of the Employment Permits Legislation. Any company that wishes to use the Employment Permits System must make a declaration as to the number of EEA and non-EEA employees that they employ as part of the application process. An application for an employment permit can only be considered where, at time of application, at least 50% of the company's employees are nationals of the EEA (including Ireland), the Swiss Confederation, the UK or a combination of these. This underpins the Government’s employment creation objectives by requiring employers in the State to hire in a balanced manner from the local labour market (both within Ireland and across the EEA) and ensures that the State complies with EU Union Preference obligations.

The Employment Permits system is administered in accordance with the Employment Permits Act 2024, which provides the legislative framework governing the granting, renewal, and refusal of employment permits, ensuring that applications are assessed based on defined statutory criteria and labour market needs.

Under section 22 (2) of the Employment Permits Act 2024 the 50/50 rule may be waived for a critical skills employment permit, a general employment permit or an intracompany employment permit where on the day the application is made the employer has been registered with the Revenue Commissioners and an enterprise development agency has made a recommendation in support of the application and the minister is satisfied that having regard to such recommendation, granting the employment permit will contribute to further development of employment in the state.

It does not appear that the employer in this case is a client company of Enterprise Ireland or the IDA. Therefore they would not be eligible to apply for a support letter of recommendation.

The Department is currently conducting a review of the 50:50 rule in relation to certain roles in the health care sector. Any proposed change will require a legislative amendment, which must be supported by a clear policy rationale and input from the relevant line Department (in this case - the Department of Health).

As always, employers should inform themselves of their legislative obligations before hiring, issuing contracts, or bringing third country nationals into the state

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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591. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an update on an employment permit application for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58342/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Employment Permits Section of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment continues to process applications as efficiently as possible, with a strong focus on maintaining and improving overall processing timelines.

In this case, the application referenced was submitted on 22 September 2025. As of today, the Department is processing standard applications received on 16 September 2025. These processing dates are published and updated on the Department’s website on a weekly basis to provide clarity for applicants, employers, and their representatives.

To further support applicants and reduce the need for individual status queries, the Department has this year introduced a Self-Service Portal. This system allows both employers and applicants to check the real-time status of their applications directly.

These tools are designed to provide timely updates and reduce the need for individual queries, helping us to focus resources on processing applications efficiently.

In addition, a dedicated TD mailbox is available for Oireachtas members to raise queries where appropriate – tdepqueries@enterprise.gov.ie

The Department remains committed to allocating resources where they are most needed — namely, in the processing of applications - to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and that overall timelines continue to improve.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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592. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an update on an employment permit application for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58343/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Employment Permits Section of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment continues to process applications as efficiently as possible, with a strong focus on maintaining and improving overall processing timelines.

In this case, the application referenced was submitted on 12 September 2025. As of today, the Department is processing standard applications received on 4 September 2025. These processing dates are published and updated on the Department’s website on a weekly basis to provide clarity for applicants, employers, and their representatives.

To further support applicants and reduce the need for individual status queries, the Department has this year introduced a Self-Service Portal. This system allows both employers and applicants to check the real-time status of their applications directly.

These tools are designed to provide timely updates and reduce the need for individual queries, helping us to focus resources on processing applications efficiently.

In addition, a dedicated TD mailbox is available for Oireachtas members to raise queries where appropriate – tdepqueries@enterprise.gov.ie

The Department remains committed to allocating resources where they are most needed — namely, in the processing of applications to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and that overall timelines continue to improve.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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593. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an update on an employment permit application for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58344/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Employment Permits Section of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment continues to process applications as efficiently as possible, with a strong focus on maintaining and improving overall processing timelines.

In this case, the application referenced was submitted on 12 September 2025. While at the time of submission the Department was processing standard applications received on 4 September 2025, I can confirm that the employment permit in question has since been processed and was issued on 29 October 2025.

To further support applicants and reduce the need for individual status queries, the Department has this year introduced a Self-Service Portal. This system allows both employers and applicants to check the real-time status of their applications directly.

These tools are designed to provide timely updates and reduce the need for individual queries, helping us to focus resources on processing applications efficiently.

In addition, a dedicated TD mailbox is available for Oireachtas members to raise queries where appropriate – tdepqueries@enterprise.gov.ie

The Department remains committed to allocating resources where they are most needed — namely, in the processing of applications to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and that overall timelines continue to improve.