Ireland: Job Positions Made Eligible for Employment Permits to Address Skills Shortages in Dairy, Transport and Home Care Sectors

The Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail announced the introduction of further employment permits for workers from outside the European Economic Area to address skill shortages in the dairy, transport and home care sectors. A quota of 1,000 General Employment Permits for care workers and home carers has been introduced. The permits will be issued for two years and require a minimum annual salary of EUR 27,000 based on a 39-hour week, among other requirements. Further, the quota of General Employment Permits for dairy farm assistants has been increased by 500, with a minimum annual salary of EUR 30,000 based on a 39-hour week. Additionally, a quota of 1,500 employment permits is being introduced for the role of bus and coach drivers with a minimum annual salary of EUR 30,000 based on a 39-hour week, among other requirements. Employers can apply for these employment permits once they have run the required advertisements seeking local workers for these positions for 28 days.