Public consultation on the review of the Occupations Lists for Employment Permits

The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation invites submissions from representative bodies, Government Departments, Agencies, and other interested parties to a public consultation to review the eligibility of occupations appearing on the Critical Skills Occupations List and the Ineligible Occupations List for employment permits. This is the first review of the Occupations Lists for 2020.

You are invited to make a submission with your observations if you feel that there is a skills deficit or surplus of individuals holding such skills, or, a shortage of labour or surplus of individuals available to fill those labour needs, in relation to occupations in your sector and the impact of which is adversely affecting your industry. We are interested in any factors that you consider are appropriate in order to have an occupation considered for adjustment on the lists, for example, information on skills or labour shortages incurred and for how long, recruitment efforts undertaken, retention difficulties, relevant training incentives, impact on business, expansion plans etc., or other evidence or data such as industry surveys or reports and views within your sector. 

Submission Form

Submissions will only be accepted using the form attached below. 

Key dates

Submissions open:     Tuesday, 21 January 2020

Closing date:              5pm, Monday, 2 March 2020

Enquiries and submission

All enquiries and submissions should be directed to empu@dbei.gov.ie

Background

Ireland operates a managed employment permits system maximising the benefits of economic migration and minimising the risk of disrupting Ireland’s labour market. The system is intended to act as a conduit for key skills which are required to develop enterprise in the State for the benefit of our economy, while simultaneously protecting the balance of the labour market.

The system is, by design, vacancy led and driven by the changing needs of the labour market, expanding and contracting in tandem with its inherent fluctuations. In order to ensure that the employment permits schemes are responsive to changes in economic circumstances and labour market conditions, the system is managed through the operation of the Critical Skills Occupations List and the Ineligible Occupations List for the purpose of granting an employment permit.   

  • Occupations included on the Critical Skills Occupations List are highly skilled occupations which are experiencing labour or skill shortages in respect of qualifications, experience or skills and which are required for the proper functioning of the Irish economy.
  • Occupations not on either List where an employer cannot find a worker, are considered eligible occupations for an employment permit, subject to criteria, but are not eligible for Critical Skills Employment Permits.
  • Occupations included on the Ineligible Occupations List are occupations in respect of which there is evidence that there are more than enough Irish/EEA workers available to fill such vacancies, and therefore an employment permit shall not be granted in Ireland. 

The submission process is an opportunity for stakeholders to provide information and experiences and potentially different perspectives on the nature and extent of skill and/or labour shortages. Stakeholder submissions are a vital source of information and views, helping inform the Department’s final assessment of the status of occupations. 

Publication of Submissions and Freedom of Information

Any personal information, which you volunteer to this Department, will be treated with the highest standards of security and confidentiality, strictly in accordance with the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003. However, please note the following:

  • The information provided in the submission form will be shared with relevant Government Departments and State organisations during the review process.
  • The Department will publish the outcome of the reviews and the submissions received under this consultation on its website, and
  • as information received by the Department is subject to the Freedom of Information Act, such information may be considered for possible release under the FOI Act. The Department will consult with you regarding such information before making a decision should it be required to disclose it.
  • If you wish to submit information that you consider commercially sensitive, please identify that information in your submission and give reasons for considering it commercially sensitive. 

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. An elaboration of the policy underpinnings of the employment permits system is set out at: Employment Permit Policy.

Economic Migration Policy Unit

Topics: Employment Permits