I want to raise the issue of the shortage of transmission lines workers and the difficulties this leads to in rolling out the critical infrastructure we need to decarbonise as a country. These workers cannot be sourced within the EEA. They need to be included on the critical skills list but the Department has not responded to requests from contractors who are looking to bring in these very much-needed workers. Can urgency be applied to ensure these critical workers are included on the critical skills list to achieve the things I have set out and for this to be done as soon as possible, please?

I am very grateful to the Deputy for raising this matter. I share his desire to see these workers added to the critical skills list as soon as possible. The Department and the Government propose to carry out, in late August or September, a full evaluation of the eligible list, the ineligible list, and crucially the critical skills list for work permits for the first time in two years. It has been done on an ad hoc basis over the past two years, and when that review is done, I will be sure to take Deputy Griffin's points on board and ask him to make a submission. Over the past year more than 40,000 workers came to Ireland from outside the EEA and the EU. There is a huge gap in this particular area when it comes to ensuring we can fill these much-needed vacancies.