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On 20th December 2023, Minister Neale Richmond announced the largest ever expansion to the employment permits system in Ireland, with the introduction of several new quotas and the removal of many occupations from the Ineligible List. The changes come following the public consultation on the review of eligible occupations conducted by DETE in the summer of 2023, where the government asked stakeholders to submit their feedback on changes needed to the permit system. The eligibility and salary changes are due to come into effect in 28 days’ time, on 17th January 2024, with any new quotas taking effect from 14th February 2024. 

The main changes include the addition of 11 roles to the Critical Skills List, the removal of 32 roles from the Ineligible List of Occupations (rendering them eligible for General Employment Permits), and minimum salary increases as discussed below. Roles added to the Critical Skills List include Project Engineers, Estimators and Chemical Engineers, while newly eligible occupations for General Permits include Car Mechanics, HGV Mechanics and Vehicle Paint & Body Technicians. New quotas have also been announced for Meat Processing Operatives (1000 GEPs), Butchers/Deboners (350 GEPs), Dairy Farm Assistants (350 GEPs) and Horticultural Workers (1000 GEPs). 

One surprising aspect of the announcement is the sudden increase in salary for almost all types of employment permits, with the minimum salary for a 39 hour week rising from €30,000.00 for General Employment Permit holders, and from €34,000.00 to €38,000.00 for Critical Skills Permit holders. Salary increases were also announced for occupations that are usually permitted to use a lower minimum salary in exchange for the provision of accommodation, such as Boners and Horticulture Workers. DETE’s announcement also indicated that the minimum salaries would increase across the board again in January 2024, 2025 and 2026, up to a projected €39,000.00 for General Permit holders by 2026. 

Although the expansion of eligible occupations for permits has been broadly welcomed within the industry, there has been some consternation caused by the sudden salary increases announced alongside it and the projected continuing increases over the coming years. The changes represent a 13.3% increase in minimum salary for General Permits, and an 11.8% increase for Critical Skills Permits, with 28 days of notice for employers. 

VisaWork took part in the occupations review submitted in August 2023 and are excited to see some of the important changes we advocated for being reflected in this announcement, particularly the expansion of eligibility for trades occupations like HGV Mechanics and electricians. The skills shortage in Ireland and the EU at present means that we increasingly need to rely on non-EU workers on employment permits to fill important roles. VisaWork welcome the changes announced and are looking forward to assisting clients in processing permits for newly eligible occupations. The full announcement by Minister Richmond can be accessed at this link – https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/news-and-events/department-news/2023/december/20122023.html.