The Irish Government has announced a series of updates to the Employment Permits system aimed at addressing ongoing skills and labor shortages across key sectors, including construction, healthcare, transport and agri-food. These changes follow a comprehensive review of the Occupations Lists and are intended to support employers in sourcing talent where skills cannot be met within Ireland or the wider EEA labour market.
Key Updates at a Glance
A total of 32 changes have been confirmed:
- 6 roles added to the Critical Skills Occupations List (CSEP)
- 9 roles newly eligible for General Employment Permits (GEPs) (no quota applied)
- 2 roles introduced under new GEP quota arrangements
- 15 existing GEP roles have had their quotas renewed
Roles Added to the Critical Skills Occupations List
The following occupations are now eligible for a Critical Skills Employment Permit:
- Agronomist
- Construction Planner / Scheduler
- Community Eye Care Specialist
- Intellectual Property Professionals
- Geospatial Surveyor (including Land and Geomatics Surveyors)
- Riggers (within the Games Industry)
This expansion supports the recruitment of highly skilled professionals across sectors such as construction, infrastructure, healthcare and intellectual property.
Roles Now Eligible for General Employment Permits
The following occupations have been removed from the Ineligible Occupations List and are now eligible for a General Employment Permit:
- Pharmaceutical Technicians (healthcare-specific)
- Dental Hygienists
- Plastic Lining Technicians
- Steel Fixers
- Fencing Operators / Erectors
- Curtain Wallers
- Printers
- Industrial Machine Knitters
- Concrete Pump Operators
These updates are particularly relevant to the construction and healthcare sectors, where labor shortages continue to persist.
Quota-Based General Employment Permits
New quotas are introduced for:
- Fish Filleters
- Seafood Operatives
Quota renewals are confirmed for several roles, including:
- Hospitality and catering managers
- Support workers
- Automotive and mechanical roles (e.g. mechanics, technicians, panel beaters)
- Butchers and meat processing operatives
- Home support workers
- Farm assistants (dairy) and horticulture operatives
Proposed Changes to the 50:50 Rule
The Government also announced plans to review the “50:50 rule”, which currently requires that at least 50% of a company’s workforce be EEA/UK nationals for Employment Permits to be granted.
This review is particularly focused on the health and social care sector, where workforce shortages continue to impact service delivery. Any future amendments are expected to provide greater flexibility for employers operating in these critical areas.
What This Means for Employers
- Increased access to talent: More roles are now eligible for employment permits across key sectors.
- Greater recruitment flexibility: Particularly in construction, healthcare and agri-food industries.
- Continued compliance requirements: Employers must still meet standard eligibility criteria, including labour market testing (where applicable) and remuneration thresholds.
- Potential policy changes ahead: Further updates may follow regarding the 50:50 rule.
Next Steps
Employers considering hiring non-EEA nationals should review these updates carefully to assess eligibility under the revised occupation lists.
If you would like support assessing eligibility, preparing applications or understanding how these changes may impact your organisation, please contact the Newland Chase Ireland team.
This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes.
