Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 September 2025
32. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment further to the recent consultation on the review of employment permits occupation lists, if he will add roles (details supplied) to the critical skills occupations list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50841/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland operates a managed employment permits system, maximising the benefits of economic migration and minimising the risk of disrupting Ireland’s labour market. The regime is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills or labour shortages in the State in the short to medium term. This objective must be balanced by the need to ensure that there are no suitably qualified Irish or EEA nationals available to undertake the work and that the shortage is genuine.
The employment permits system is managed through the operation of the Critical Skills Occupation List and the Ineligible Occupations List. These, respectively, set out skills that are in high demand or are employments that are not eligible for consideration for an employment permit.
The Occupations Lists are subject to periodic reviews, which include public consultation inviting evidence-based submissions from all sectors. Each review takes account of research undertaken by SOLAS's Skills and Labour Market Research Unit and the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, a public consultation process, input from the relevant policy departments and the Economic Migration Inter-Departmental Group. I can confirm that my department has received submissions in relation to the occupations in question.
An occupation could potentially be considered to be added to the CSOL where evidence supports that there is not enough suitable Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work. If labour market conditions change such that there is not enough availability of suitably skilled workers within the EEA for a specific occupation, an evidenced-based submission from that sector may be submitted to my Department for consideration to the review of the Occupations Lists.
Submissions for the current review closed on Friday, 19th of September, and the outcome of that review will be made public in the coming months.
