Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 March 2026
113. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the average time to process work permits under the Employment Permits Online (EPO) system since its inception; if he could provide the average timelines for the processing of works permits for each of the years 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17837/26]
View answerThe Employment Permits Section of my Department continues to prioritise the efficient processing of employment permit applications in order to support the needs of enterprise while ensuring full compliance with the Employment Permits Acts.
The new Employment Permits Online (EPO) system went live in 2025 as part of a major digital transformation programme. As is expected with any system transition of this scale, there is a bedding-in period following go-live. To anticipate this, additional resources were assigned in advance of the transition to bring processing times down as far as possible prior to go-live and to minimise the risk of any delays during the transition period.
While the Department observed a short-term increase in processing times during the period after go-live, this was moderate and expected for a system transition of this scale, and processing times have since returned to normal levels.
It is important to note that the Employment Permits system is demand-led. Processing times vary over the course of each year and are affected by application volumes. Demand is heavily influenced by external and policy-driven factors. Processing times are updated regularly on the Department's website at: enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/current-application-processing-dates/.
The table below sets out the average processing time for new employment permit applications (business days) for the years 2022–2026, including the period following the introduction of the new EPO system.
|
Average Wait Time (Business Days) |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
New System 2025 |
New System 2026 |
|
Jan |
56 |
14 |
21 |
21 |
|
24 |
|
Feb |
69 |
13 |
25 |
18 |
|
23 |
|
Mar |
61 |
15 |
23 |
13 |
|
|
|
Apr |
69 |
17 |
20 |
12 |
|
|
|
May |
61 |
16 |
22 |
|
25 |
|
|
Jun |
56 |
16 |
31 |
|
24 |
|
|
Jul |
38 |
13 |
21 |
|
29 |
|
|
Aug |
33 |
17 |
22 |
|
31 |
|
|
Sep |
26 |
21 |
23 |
|
36 |
|
|
Oct |
26 |
22 |
25 |
|
34 |
|
|
Nov |
17 |
23 |
25 |
|
28 |
|
|
Dec |
13 |
20 |
21 |
|
23 |
|
|
Yearly Average |
44 |
17 |
23 |
17 |
29 |
24 |
