Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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311. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment whether any estimate has been made of the number of employment permit holders working in sectors identified by the Government as highly exposed to AI-driven workforce displacement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41081/26]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Ireland’s employment permits system supports enterprise growth and economic activity, and is designed to strike an appropriate balance between facilitating access to international labour in key, high demand roles while maintaining safeguards for the domestic and EEA workforce.

Access to employment permits is facilitated through the occupations lists, identifying highly skilled occupations in science, medical, ICT, and engineering fields on the Critical Skills Occupations List. The system targets skills shortages in sectors critical to competitiveness and growth, facilitating employment in the State through the Critical Skills Employment Permit. On the Ineligible Occupations List are roles already well served by the labour market.

The occupations lists are subject to periodic review, informed by labour market data, vacancy and earnings trends, and analysis from relevant skills bodies. The review process is a delicate balancing act, overseen by the Interdepartmental Group on Economic Migration Policy which facilitates an integrated, cross-government approach to informing policy development, and supports efforts to ensure that the permits system remains responsive to current and emerging skills and workforce requirements. Adjustments can be made to widen eligibility or to restrict access to employment permits for certain occupations or sectors based on evidence.

The current review of the occupation lists commenced with an open public consultation, which closed on 19 September and attracted submissions from stakeholders across the economy. A wide range of roles in the ICT sector are currently eligible for an employment permit. Discussion on the use of and impact of AI in sectors has also been considered through engagement with key policy departments and the Interdepartmental Group on Economic Migration Policy. My Department also monitors the volume of permits issued by sector, and those statistics are available on the website.

I announced the outcome of the review today, giving approval for 32 changes to jobs now eligible for employment permits. The review report can be accessed on the Department's website at:

It should be noted that the employment permits legislation imposes restrictions on the grant of new employment permits where a role has recently been subject to redundancy. The employer cannot hire another non-EEA national via the permit system for that role for a period of 6 months.

Successive national strategy and economic action plans prepared in recent years reference clearly the need to attract and retain skilled workers from across the globe to deliver on our national industry, infrastructure, and broader socio-economic goals. My Department continues to review employment trends and refine the employment permits system to ensure that it supports our competitiveness on a global labour market, supports enterprise and remains fair, responsive and aligned with Ireland’s wider economic and social needs