Ireland (June 16, 2021) – Changes to eligibility criteria in relation to employment permissions for certain healthcare roles in Ireland

What is the change?

Employment permit requirements are to be amended to accommodate certain workers in the healthcare and nursing/nursing home sectors. Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English, announced the changes that will allow more workers from outside of the European Economic Area apply for employment permissions. The proposed changes are a bid to tackle labour shortages.

Key points:

The following roles are now eligible for employment permits:

• Healthcare assistants
• Social workers
• Occupational therapists
• Physiotherapists
• Speech and language
• Dieticians will qualify for a Critical Skills Employment Permit

Given the pressure that the HSE has faced in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, this will enable them an opportunity to alleviate some of the shortfall by employing more people into the healthcare system.

Implementation time frame: The changes came into effect from 15th June 2021.

Who is affected: Healthcare workers and employers that fall into the above categories and employers that wish to expand their work force in Ireland.

Analysis & Comments:

Deloitte welcomes this change as the new policy will see an expansion in roles that will enable employers to apply for more work permits, increasing skillsets across their staffing.

Deloitte are delighted to offer assistance with assessments of eligibility and applications, as required. Should you require assistance, or have any queries on the above policy update, please do not hesitate to contact us.