61. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the data gathering and forward planning associated with work permit applications that is carried out by his Departments and local authorities in order to co-ordinate geographical location of employers and local capacity availability in the areas of housing, school places, general practitioner availability and public transport provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46049/26]

Ireland's employment permits system is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills or labour shortages in the State in the short to medium term but is not a substitute or pretext for avoiding the challenge of up-skilling our resident workforce.

Access to employment permits is facilitated through the occupations lists, identifying highly skilled occupations on the Critical Skills Occupations List and roles already well served by the labour market to which an employment permit cannot be granted are on the Ineligible Occupations List.

My Department does not have a role in local authority planning processes. There are no geographic constraints placed on employers in the State. School capacity concerns are a matter for the Minister for Education and Youth, similarly medical service provision is a matter for the Minister for Health, while public transport policy is a matter for the Minister for Transport.

Employment permit policy is kept under constant review to ensure it remains responsive to labour market needs. This includes regular reviews of the Occupations Lists, minimum annual remuneration thresholds, and employment permit criteria.  The review of the occupations lists process involves a public consultation, consideration of research undertaken by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), and the Skills and the Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU) in SOLAS. Account is also taken of educational outputs, sectoral upskilling and training initiatives and known contextual factors and their impact on the labour market.

These reviews take account of wider public policy considerations, including national strategies on housing supply, infrastructure capacity, and public service provision.  Adjustments can be made to widen eligibility or to restrict access to employment permits for certain occupations or sectors based on evidence.

The review process is a delicate balancing act and is overseen by the Interdepartmental Group on Economic Migration Policy which includes representatives of key government departments such as the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of Health.

I announced the outcome of the most recent review last month, giving approval for 32 changes to jobs now eligible for employment permits.  The review report can be accessed on the Department's website at:  Employment Permits Occupations Lists: Report of the Review 2025.

Successive national strategy and economic action plans prepared in recent years reference clearly the need to attract and retain skilled workers from across the globe to deliver on our national industry, infrastructure, and broader socio-economic goals.  My Department continues to review employment trends and refine the employment permits system to ensure that it supports our competitiveness on a global labour market, supports enterprise and remains fair, responsive and aligned with Ireland’s wider economic and social needs.