More agriculture roles now eligible for general employment permits
In 2022, 40,000 permits were issued; and Neale Richmond said that in 2023, demand remained high "with over 31,000 permits issued to workers outside of the EEA".
Some big changes have been made to the employment permits system in Ireland, with more roles in the agriculture industry now eligible for general employment permits, the Government has announced.
11 roles have been added to the Critical Skills Occupations List, including professional foresters, and 32 roles have been made eligible for a general employment permit, including pig managers; pig farm assistants; wood machine operatives; saw doctor / wood machine mechanics; and butchers/deboners.
The Government has also confirmed that from this month, the minimum salary for new general employment permits will increase from €30,000 to €34,000.
Healthcare assistant and home carer salary requirements will increase from €27,000 and horticultural worker and meat processor salary requirements will increase from €22,000 to €30,000 in January 2024, bringing them in line with family reunification thresholds.
Additionally, several occupations that had previously been made eligible for general employment permits have had their quotas extended: 1,000 permits for meat processing operatives; 350 for butcher/deboners; 350 for dairy farm assistants; and 1,000 for horticultural workers to support the sector until the introduction of the seasonal employment permit.
According to Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail Neale Richmond, this is the "largest ever expansion" of the employment permits system.
"These changes cross many sectors and will be of huge benefit to Irish businesses and society," Mr Richmond said.
"As a result of effective full employment, demand on the employment permits system is very high."
In 2022, 40,000 permits were issued; and Mr Richmond said that in 2023, demand remained high "with over 31,000 permits issued to workers outside of the EEA who are coming to Ireland to address the real skills shortages that are impacting businesses across the country".
On the salary thresholds, Mr Richmond said they had "not changed in some time and had not kept pace with inflation or economic growth".
"Economic migration has such an important impact on our economy and our society," he said.
"To recognise this contribution and ensure we are offering good quality employment to these workers, the salary thresholds have been increased."
These changes will bring all permit holders in line with the minimum requirement of a salary of at least €30,000 to avail of family reunification as a starting point, Mr Richmond said.
"This is particularly important to healthcare assistants and home carers who do such important work in our communities," Mr Richmond said.
"This will give all sectors, particularly the agri-food and healthcare sectors, sufficient time to prepare."
The Employment and Recruitment Federation has said that this expansion of the employment permit system is a "significant development".
President of the federation Siobhan Kinsella said that it will contribute to "fostering a vibrant and inclusive job market".
"It will benefit businesses, employees, and job seekers alike, furthering Ireland's progress on multiple fronts," Ms Kinsella said.
The federation said it "acknowledges the Government's efforts to enhance the healthcare system, build more homes, and address skills shortages".
The roadmap for increasing salary thresholds in employment permits that have been announced helps to provide a "structured approach to economic migration", the federation said.
It said that these changes "reflect Irish recognition of the valuable contributions made by migrant workers and the importance of providing them with good quality employment opportunities".
Ms Kinsella added: "We applaud this forward-thinking initiative and look forward to continued collaboration with the Government in promoting a thriving job market in Ireland."
