Eoin Ó Broin
Question:117. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he is aware of an issue in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10704/26]
View answerWednesday, 11 February 2026
Questions (117)
Written answers
The attraction and retention of recent graduates in the labour market is an important facet of ensuring Ireland continues to foster a highly skilled workforce which operates within a wider rules based economic migration system.
Ireland operates a managed employment permits system, designed to maximise the benefits of economic migration while minimising disruption to Ireland’s labour market. The system is governed by the Employment Permits Act 2024, which provides the legislative framework for granting employment permits to non-EEA nationals seeking to work in Ireland.
The graduate 1G visa is within the remit of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. This programme allows legally resident Irish educated non-EEA graduates who hold a level 8 or level 9 award from a recognised Irish awarding body to remain in Ireland after their studies for a period of twelve months. This permission facilitates seeking graduate level employment and applying for a general employment permit, a critical skills employment permit or research hosting agreement.
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.
Graduates of Irish third level institutes, including non-EEA graduates, continue to form an important element of Ireland’s highly skilled workforce. This is recognised in the Department of Justice’s Stamp 1G immigration permission. I can confirm that, should the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science or the Department of Justice seek to introduce any new measures to improve the transition of non-EEA graduates into the labour market, my department will engage constructively on their assessment and implementation.