Accountants call for faster permit-processing times

Director of members at Chartered Accountants Ireland Brendan O’Hora. Picture: Iain White Photography

The lengthy time it takes to process work permits is impacting economic growth, claimed Chartered Accountants Ireland.

The industry body said it was working with government to reduce the Critical Skills Employment Permits application processing time for accountants who have already been hired to move to and work in Ireland.

“Despite growth in the community of Chartered Accountants, supply constraints remain, and we hear this anecdotally on a daily basis,” said director of members Brendan O’Hora.

Chartered Accountants claimed that the processing period has been reduced to six to eight weeks from as high as four months. However, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment insists that current processing times for the Critical Skills Employment Permit are between two to three weeks.

Skills shortage

The organisation has not escaped the ongoing skills shortage impacting most businesses, despite being the fastest growing accountancy body in the UK and Ireland over the five-year period to 2021, according to figures from a recent report.

Chartered Accountants Ireland said "speedier" processing times for work permits for chartered accountants from outside the European Economic Area, “will play a key role” in meeting client and market demand.

Chartered Accountants Ireland is Ireland’s leading professional accountancy body. On the island of Ireland, it reached over 21,000 members in the Republic and almost 5,000 members in Northern Ireland by the end of 2021. 

The institute’s total market share on the island now stands at 52%,  comprising a 50% market share in the Republic of Ireland and 63% in Northern Ireland.

“In a highly competitive market, it is extremely encouraging to observe the continued growth of the chartered brand, in membership and market share on the island of Ireland," Mr O'Hora added.