13th September 2016 |
Closed Consultations
Economic Migration Policy Unit is conducting a further review of the Highly Skilled Eligible Occupations List (HSEOL) and the Ineligible Categories of Employment List (ICEL) and is now seeking wider submissions on these occupations.
Submissions will only be accepted using the submission form attached below.
Key dates
Submissions open: 13 September 2016
Closing date: 7 October 2016
Enquiries and submission
All enquiries and submissions should be directed to fiona.odea@djei.ie and roisin.collins@djei.ie.
Background
The employment permits system is managed in part through the operation of the HSEOL and ICEL for the purpose of grant of employment permits. Occupations not included on either list are considered eligible occupations but are not eligible for Critical Skills Employment Permits. The current lists, effective from 2nd August 2016, can be found at:
Highly Skilled Eligible Occupations List
Ineligible Categories of Employment List
Objectives of the review
The employment permits regime is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA migrants to fill skills shortages. However, this objective must be balanced by the need to ensure that there are no suitably qualified Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work and that the shortage is a genuine one.
An occupation may be considered for inclusion on the HSEOL or removal from the ICEL provided that:
- There are no suitable Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work;
- Development opportunities for Irish/EEA nationals are not undermined;
- Genuine skills shortage exists and that it is not a recruitment or retention problem;
- The Government education, training, employment and economic development policies are supported;
- The skill shortage exists across the occupation, despite attempts by industry to train and attract Irish/EEA nationals to available jobs.
Submission process
In order to maintain the relevance of these lists of occupations to the needs of the economy, a bi-annual review process is applied. As part of this review process, the Economic Migration Policy Unit is currently seeking submissions from representative bodies, Government Departments, Agencies, and other interested parties relating to occupations currently included on or absent from the lists.
The submission process is an opportunity for stakeholders to provide additional information and potentially different perspectives on the nature and extent of skill shortages. Stakeholder submissions are a vital source of information, helping inform the Department’s final assessment of the status of occupations.
If you feel that there is a skills deficit or surplus relating to occupations in your sector, you are invited, either through your industry representative or directly, to make a submission on the attached form and return it to fiona.odea@djei.ie and roisin.collins@djei.ie with your observations. A closing date for submissions of Friday 7 October 2016 will be strictly applied. Submissions received by close of business on this date will be considered as part of the review process.
The information you provide is important to our assessment process. You are encouraged to be as specific and detailed as possible when providing information. For example you may have more up-to-date evidence or other data eg. industry surveys or reports. We are also interested in any other factors that you consider are appropriate to add or remove an occupation from the lists for example, you may have information on recruitment and retention difficulties or changes in relevant training.
Please note that the information provided in the submission form will be shared with relevant Government Departments and State organisations. This is to promote an integrated approach to addressing skills shortages in the State.
Economic Migration Policy Unit will consider all submissions received within the stated timeframe. The Unit will also undertake any necessary follow up with submitters and consultation with Government Departments/State Bodies and industry groups. At the end of the consultation process the Department will make recommendations to the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Changes to the lists approved by the Minister will then be given legal effect by way of a statutory instrument.
Additional information
The rationale underpinning the inclusion on or omission from the lists of any particular occupation is driven by skills demands in the economy, and is based on, in the first instance, research undertaken by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), that is subsequently augmented by a consultation process that includes this call for submissions. An elaboration of the policy underpinnings of the employment permits system is set out at: Employment Permit Policy.
Parties considering making submissions to the review process should be aware that a range of criteria in addition to the eligibility of an occupation apply to the grant of employment permits. The criteria vary according to the type of employment permit application which is submitted. By way of example, the criteria for grant of a General Employment Permit are set out at: General Employment Permit.
Information on the criteria for other types of employment permit can be found by accessing the link relating to each type, available at: Employment Permits.
Published by
Workplace Regulation and Economic Migration
Topics:
Employment Permits