Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 March 2025
211. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Enterprise; Trade and Employment to urgently intervene and allow for an emergency work permit in respect of a person (details supplied) given the shortage of chefs in Killarney, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14789/25]
View answerThe Employment Permits Section informs me that under the Employment Permits Acts 2024 in order to work in the State all non-EEA nationals require a valid employment permit or relevant immigration permission from the Minister for Justice which allows them to reside and work in the State without the requirement for an employment permit.
The Irish State’s general policy is to promote the sourcing of labour and skills needs from within the workforce of the European Union and other EEA states. However, where specific skills prove difficult to source within the EEA, an employment permit may be sought in respect of a non-EEA national who possesses those skill, provided the role is eligible.
There is no provision in the legislation to issue an emergency work permit, and every application must comply with all of the legislative requirements for the particular employment permit type. Details on how to apply for an Employment Permit are available on my Department’s website through the following link: enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/.
The Employment Permits Section of the Department informs me that the application referenced in the details supplied was refused for a number of reasons, including the fact that the required Labour Market Needs Test had not been carried out correctly. As the legislation allows no discretion where this requirement is not met, the application was correctly refused.
The refusal to grant an employment permit in this instance does not preclude the applicant from submitting another application for an employment permit.
