Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Factsheet for measure IE-2024-27/3795 – measures in Ireland
Country | Ireland , applies nationwide |
Time period | Open ended, started on 03 July 2024 |
Context | Labour Migration Management |
Type | Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Category |
Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery into a green future
– Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.) |
Author | Roisin Farelly (IRN Publishing) and Eurofound |
Measure added | 23 April 2025 (updated 21 May 2025) |
The new employment permits will replace the ‘Atypical Working Scheme (AWS) for non-EEA Crew in the Irish Fishing Fleet’. That scheme was established in 2016 and facilitated the recruitment of non-EEA fishers to work onboard certain fishing vessels. Following a review of the scheme in 2022, it was closed and recommended that the scheme be normalised into the Employment Permit System.
An implementation group was established to oversee the transition which included officials from the Department of Transport, the Workplace Relations Commission and an Bord Iascaigh Mhara.
A new quota has been introduced of 150 General Employment Permits for the role of sea fisher in the Irish fishing fleet. The new quota was introduced following a recommendation by a cross-governmental group to move the management of non-EEA sea fishers from a previous scheme to the Employment Permit System. The role of sea fisher in the Irish fishing fleet will now be eligible for a General Employment Permit with a minimum salary requirement of €34,000. The permits were introduced because, Ireland has reached full employment and sea fisher is one of the occupations where there is a shortage.
150 permits available.
Workers | Businesses | Citizens |
---|---|---|
Particular professions
Migrants or refugees in employment |
Sector specific set of companies
|
Does not apply to citizens |
Actors | Funding |
---|---|
National government
Public employment service Public support service providers |
No special funding required
|
Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:
Trade unions | Employers' organisations | |
---|---|---|
Role | Consulted | Consulted |
Form | Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal | Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal |
Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment invited submissions from representative bodies, government departments, agencies, and other interested parties to a consultation to review the eligibility of occupations for employment permits. Submissions were received from the fishing sector and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment had a series of engagements with representatives from this sector, migrants rights advocates and unions concerning access for non-EEA fishers through the General Employment Permit System
No information
This case is sector-specific (only private sector)
This case is occupation-specific
Citation
Eurofound (2025), New employment permits for sea fishers introduced to address skills shortage, with a quota of 150 permits, measure IE-2024-27/3795 (measures in Ireland), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/IE-2024-27_3795.html
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