I propose to take Questions Nos. 814, 815 and 853 together.
The EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was concluded on 27 January. The FTA does not create any obligation on Ireland to grant Indian citizens access to the Irish labour market.
All third-country nationals, including Indian citizens, who wish to come to Ireland to be employed in the State, must meet the requirements to have an employment permit issued by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, following which, and subject to visa and immigration conditions and checks, my Department issues an appropriate immigration permission. Family reunification applications from employment permit holders are considered in line with the recently revised Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy, under which holders of General Employment Permits may apply after twelve months in the State, subject to income thresholds to ensure they are self-sufficient, and Critical Skills Employment Permit holders may apply immediately.
The EU’s proposed European Legal Gateway Office in India is a separate aspect of the strategic EU-India agenda announced last October. It will be an information hub providing skilled workers in India (in the ICT sector initially) with information on employment opportunities where there is a shortage of labour in the EU. Alongside this, the Office will provide general information on related matters such as employment permits, immigration requirements, and recognition of qualifications in EU Member States. The project is an EU initiative, and the Office will gather information from existing public resources such as, in Ireland’s case, my Department’s Immigration Service Delivery website and the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment’s webpages on the employment permit system.
The role of Member States will primarily be to verify that information provided by the Office is accurate. It will be open to Member States, should they wish, to participate more actively in any talent attraction activities undertaken by the Office. Involvement by Member States will be voluntary and based on the relevant State’s labour market interests and needs. Ireland has no plans at present for any active involvement in the European Legal Gateway Office or in any other EU-level pilot involving India. I can also confirm that no new expanded, or expedited, visa or residence routes are planned or under consideration in connection with the Office, and that the Office will not have any role in handling or processing applications for Irish visas, residence permits, or employment permits.
Separately, the EU has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India on a Comprehensive Framework of Cooperation on Mobility. This MoU is a non-legally binding text setting out broad principles concerning the mobility of highly skilled workers, seasonal workers, students and researchers within existing EU migration rules. The text is clear that the MoU does not create new legal obligations or rights under international or domestic law, and that it is without prejudice to EU Member States’ competence regarding mobility and migration.
The MoU is a political declaration outlining potential areas of cooperation and is largely based on the migration framework set out in several EU Directives concerning the entry and stay of workers, students and researchers, and seasonal workers. Under Protocol 21 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), Ireland does not take part in EU measures in the area of freedom, security and justice, which includes migration, unless we choose to opt in.
As Ireland has not opted into any of the relevant Directives, mobility in these categories remains entirely subject to domestic Irish immigration rules. The MoU itself is not a legal instrument and does not have a legal basis in the TFEU pillar of freedom, security and justice. Because of this, the question of opting in under Protocol 21 does not arise. In line with the procedure on non-legally binding instruments, the European Commission transmitted the text of the Memorandum to the Council of the European Union and secured authorisation for signature on behalf of the EU as a non-binding instrument. The MoU was signed at the EU-India Summit on 27 January 2026.
The MoU is not part of the EU-India FTA but is complementary to it. It aims to foster research and innovation, address skill gaps and labour shortages, and promote economic growth through mobility of highly skilled people. In these respects, many sectors in Ireland benefit greatly from the contributions of Indian citizens. As noted above, our domestic immigration rules, including visas, residence permissions, and the employment permit system operated by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, will continue to provide a managed pathway for suitably qualified individuals where roles cannot be filled domestically or from the EEA/UK/Switzerland.
