Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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113. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to add planners to the critical skills occupational list given the requirement for that discipline currently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41902/24]

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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At present the occupation of Town Planner is eligible for the General Employment Permit.

The Irish Planning Institute (IPI) made a submission to my Department's 2023 review of the occupations that are eligible for an employment permit, seeking to have the role made eligible for the Critical Skills Employment Permit. The submission was considered by the Interdepartmental Group on Economic Migration, which included the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, as well as labour market experts. The Interdepartmental Group deemed that there was insufficient evidence provided to warrant such an adjustment at that time.

My Department met with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science on this issue earlier this year. My officials advised that it is open to sector representatives to submit a revised comprehensive evidence-based case to support a request to add a role to the Critical Skills Occupations List. This should be supported by the relevant Government Department.

I welcome any such submission from the sector and affirm that my officials will engage constructively with the submitters and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, should one be received.

It is important to note that employment permit policy is part of the response to addressing skills deficits which exist and are likely to continue into the medium term, but it is not intended over the longer term to act as a substitute for meeting the challenge of upskilling the State’s resident workforce and on maximising the potential of EEA nationals to fill our skills deficits.