In follow up to our recent work in Ireland, Permits Foundation today submitted feedback on the General Scheme of an Employment Permits (Consolidation and Amendment) Bill which is currently being scrutinised by the Joint Committee on Business, Enterprise and Innovation at the Houses of the Oireachtas.

In our submission, we focus on the issue of direct employment access for dependants of highly-skilled mobile employees and raise four key points.

Permits Foundation:

1. Highlights that direct employment access for dependants of highly-skilled mobile employees both supports and is compatible with the objectives and guiding principles of the recent Review of Irish Economic Migration Policy.
2. Welcomes the recent change in government legislation which now enables spouses and partners of Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) holders or of Researchers in the State on a Hosting Agreement, to access the Irish labour market via Stamp 1G, without the need to obtain an employment permit. With the corresponding removal of reference in the Employment Permits (Consolidation and Amendment) Bill to the Dependant/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit (DPS EP), we suggest that attention should be paid to any dependants, such as working age children, who would no longer be covered by either the DPS EP or Stamp 1G and so would have their employment access removed.
3. Recommends that direct work authorisation be extended to the small number of spouses and partners of intra-company transferees (Intra-CTs), currently not covered by the recent change in legislation. We encourage cross departmental attention to this issue.
4. Recommends that authorisation for CSEP and Intra-CT spouses and partners include access to both employed and self-employed work, in line with international best practice. We encourage cross departmental attention to this issue

Read our full response to the joint committee

General Scheme of an Employment Permits (Consolidation and Amendment) Bill

Irish Government Review of Economic Migration Policy