The General Employment Permit (GEP) plays a significant role in enabling employers to meet genuine skills and labour shortages in the State while maintaining a balanced and managed employment permits system.
The total number of employment permits granted in 2025 reached 31,000, while 2,546 applications for General Employment Permits were refused.
These refusals were spread across a wide range of economic sectors, with the concentration of refusals higher in sectors such as Health and Social Work, Accommodation and Food Services, followed by Construction and Agriculture. The full sectoral breakdown of refusals is set out in detail in the table attached.
The most common reasons for refusing a General Employment Permit include instances where the Labour Market Needs Test (LMNT) has not been fully completed; where the occupation applied for is ineligible for an employment permit; the remuneration proposed in the employment falls below the minimum annual remuneration threshold; immigration-related issues; and cases where the required EEA to non-EEA employment ratio has not been satisfied.
The criteria prescribed in the legislation that determine the grant of a permit are designed to ensure that employment permits complement the domestic and EEA labour supply, protect employment standards for non-EEA workers and promote preferable terms and conditions of employment among employers.
My Department has recently concluded a review of the occupations lists, following a public consultation conducted last year. This review examined a broad range of occupations and sectors where recruitment challenges and labour shortages have been identified. The findings are currently being finalised and will be brought forward shortly, with any approved changes to the occupations lists to be implemented in line with established procedures.
Further flexibility to the employment permits system must be carefully balanced against the need to maintain appropriate labour market protections and the integrity of the employment permits regime. The eligibility of roles for the General Employment Permit continues to be actively monitored and reviewed to ensure it remains responsive to economic needs while supporting fair and sustainable employment.
Total GEPs Refused – 2025
|
Economic Sector
|
Number Refused
|
|
Total GEPs refused 2025
|
2,546
|
|
A – Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing
|
158
|
|
B – Mining & Quarrying
|
2
|
|
C – All Other Manufacturing
|
113
|
|
C – Manufacture of Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals
|
5
|
|
C – Manufacture of Computers, Electronics & Optical Equipment
|
1
|
|
C – Manufacture of Food, Drink & Tobacco
|
42
|
|
C – Manufacture of Medical Devices
|
3
|
|
D – Electricity & Gas & Air Conditioning Supply
|
12
|
|
E – Water Supply – Sewerage Waste Management & Remedial Activities
|
1
|
|
F – Construction
|
188
|
|
G – Wholesale & Retail Trade
|
101
|
|
H – Transport & Storage
|
142
|
|
I – Accommodation & Food Services Activities
|
541
|
|
J – Information & Communication Activities
|
17
|
|
K – Financial & Insurance Activities
|
23
|
|
L – Real Estate Activities
|
5
|
|
M – All other Professional, Scientific & Technical Activities
|
47
|
|
M – Professional, Scientific & Technical Activities of Head Offices, Management Consultancy Services
|
14
|
|
N – Administrative & Support Service Activities
|
15
|
|
O – Public Administration & Defence
|
1
|
|
P – Education
|
39
|
|
Q – Health & Social Work Activities
|
867
|
|
R – Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
|
12
|
|
S – Other Service Activities
|
193
|
|
T – Domestic – Activities of Households as Employers
|
3
|
|
No Economic Sector Entered
|
1
|
