This question is for the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. I have been contacted about the number of home care workers across the country who are currently employed on immigration visas. I have been informed that on previous occasions, the Department of Justice has issued an automatic renewal for visas about to expire.

The most recent automatic renewal applies only to visas due to expire before 31 May 2022. This means, for example, that more than 100 carers employed in south Dublin whose visas expire shortly after that date are ineligible for auto-extension. To date, no such extension of these immigration permits has been announced. We are in a difficult situation with home carers. Will the Minister of State look at extending the auto-extension process urgently in respect of these cases?

I am going to ask my colleague to answer that question as he deals with work permits.

As Deputy Collins knows, the permits do not cover that area at the moment but we are doing a review which is starting in the next couple of weeks. We have been engaging with the various Departments and agencies over the last couple of weeks to gather the evidence to make the case. If there is a case being made to extend the work permits into that area, it is something we can do. The decision will be based on evidence. We will work on it.