“Our reputation is at stake here,” said Pat Breen, TD.
The Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection was talking about the long delays in work permit processing times at Ireland’s Department of Business Enterprise and Innovation.
We couldn’t agree more.
Currently, DBEI is working on employment permit applications filed nearly four months ago (19 June) for standard partner businesses. That means an employer offered a job to someone nearly four months ago and that worker still can’t start.
Today in Ireland’s parliament, the Oireachtas, a few members of the Stamp 3 Association sat in on the proceedings of the Seanad Éireann. Senator Neale Richmond (Fine Gael - Labour Panel) invited us as he publicly raised the issue of long permit processing times to Minister Breen.
“The long waiting time is having such a negative impact,” said Mr. Richmond. “We are seeing so many job offers withdrawn and people’s lives absolutely being put on hold.”
In his four-minute speech, Mr. Richmond pointed out the the long delays on work permits for non-EEA citizens who could fill role that European citizens can’t or won’t fill is harming businesses in Ireland.
“There are a number of key areas, especially in my area of South Dublin where they cannot get the staff,” says Mr. Richmond. “It’s stopping businesses from expanding and trying to really address the key issue of Brexit as it faces the state.”
Responding to Mr. Richmond’s speech, Minister Breen agreed the permit processing times are a problem.
“It’s much too long,” said Mr. Breen. He later continued, “we want to be seen as a country leading in this area.”
The minister said they are trying to get more employees into DBEI to help tackle the challenges. He pointed to one partial cause of the delays: the nearly full employment in Ireland. With fewer Irish people seeking work, more companies are looking to workers elsewhere in Europe and even outside Europe to fill the open roles.
However, by failing to follow through with work permits in a timely manner will challenge Ireland’s stature as a place to do business.
By the end of September 2018, there were 12,530 employment permit applications accepted, a 29 per cent increase from the same period in 2017.
Also by the end of September 2018, DBEI issued 9,284 employment permits, a 10 per cent increase from 2017.
That is why the Stamp 3 Association believes it is a wise choice for Ireland to join the standard practices used across Europe: giving spouses and partners of those employment permit holders automatic rights to work in Ireland as well. That would save DBEI time and money, helping them to avoid processing employment permits for both spouses.
It’s also a boon for businesses.
Many Stamp 3 Visa holders have multiple years of work experience as well as a lot of educational experience. Businesses in Ireland are missing out a great pool of talented workers, mainly because of these delays.
Senator Richmond is right: “These are people living in absolute limbo.”
It is also putting Irish businesses in limbo.
That’s why we are so glad that we had the chance to talk with Minister Breen and Senator Richmond after the session. In our conversation, we provided both men with a copy of the Stamp 3 Association’s policy proposal. It’s all a step in the right direction.
Many politicians are aware of the challenges. It is helpful that we are coming in with solutions that are a win-win-win: a win for families, a win for businesses, and a win for Ireland as a whole.
That’s it from Leinster House! We will be back again soon to meet with leaders from other parts of the Dáil.