Highly skilled migrants to benefit from drive to fill key roles - plus permit boosts for HGV drivers and meat workers

By Chinedu Onyejelem

As the economy continues to grow, more non-EEA nationals are also expected to be granted permission to work in Ireland, Metro Éireann can reveal.

This follows the signing of Employment Permit Regulations 2017 by the Minister for Jobs. The new rules approve the inclusion of a new ‘highly skilled’ list and the extension of two existing categories.

With effect from 3 April, Level 10 (PhD) academics in selected third-level institutions will be added to the highly skilled list to enable Irish colleges hire the best staff available within the limit of their resources. To qualify, relevant non-EEA nationals must have a specific skill set.

Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor also announced the extension of HGV drivers to the eligible list on a temporary basis, subject to a maximum quota of 120 general work permits, as well as meat de-boners, numbers of which are subject to a maximum quota of 160 permits in 2017.

The announcement follows revelations that record numbers of immigrants were granted work permits last year.

According to the Department of Jobs, 9,383 permits were issued out of 13,371 applications in 2016.
Commenting on the new Employment Permit Regulations, Minister O’Connor said: “It is important that we monitor these regulations in order to keep up with the pace of our economy.

“Our willingness to connect to the global marketplace, and that includes the global exchange of skills, has facilitated Ireland’s ongoing recovery from recession. Our economic migration policy accommodates and reflects the increasingly global nature of enterprises.”
The minister said Ireland offers “broad horizons” for highly skilled workers the world over.  

“The arrival of non-EEA nationals to fill capacity gaps in the short to medium term is to be welcomed. I also recognise that there will always be a cohort of knowledge leaders, or those with novel or combination skill sets, which it would be advantageous to attract to work in Irish-based enterprises,” she said.