Ihf Calls On Government To Speed Up Work Permit Process

A situation where there are staff shortages across almost every sector of Irish industry, and where work permits are taking up to seven weeks to process is simply unacceptable, the President of the Irish Hotels Federation told delegates at its annual conference in Kilkenny today. Commenting that the archaic bureaucracy was damaging the potential of Irish tourism, Mary Fitzgerald urged the Government to extend the length of time permitted under work permits to two years, instead of the current situation allowing for up to one year only.

Ms Fitzgerald said that after going through the interview process and accepting a position in Ireland, many suitable foreign national employees are taking positions in another countries, simply because they can't wait for an Irish work permit to come through. It's a grave situation where Ireland is losing out on potential staff to other competing countries who have speedier processing systems.

"In an era of full employment there is intense competition for staff and the procurement of suitable staff from overseas is an essential source of supply. Due to the length of time it takes to process a work permit for an immigrant wishing to work in our country, they often choose another country where it's less hassle and quicker to start working in. This is despite the fact that the conditions and the support available particularly in the hotel sector in Ireland, is more superior to those in other countries", said Mary Fitzgerald.

The IHF is calling on the Department Enterprise, Trade & Employment to look at the situation as a matter of urgency and to provide a speedy system in processing applications for work permits.

"If, despite the odds, we are successful in actually getting the right employees into the country, the permit then only allows for a length of stay for up to one year. This means that after an employer has invested in training an individual to a position in which they can really participate to their fullest potential, the employee then has to leave the country and reapply for a new work permit to come back. A minimum of two years should be allowed on work permits, not just from an economic point of view but also in respect of the individual's desire - some of whom have travelled from distant destinations", Ms Fitzgerald continued.

Ms Fitzgerald concluded that the industry is faced with the challenge of filling a high number of job vacancies in a country of almost full employment, where competition was intense for the limited number of available employees. She added that while there has been an increase in the numbers of work permits granted in recent years - the Government processed more than 18,000 last year compared to 4,000 in 1999 - it is still not enough to cater for the employment gaps across as all sectors.

"Seven weeks may not seem like a long period of time, but many employers provide training for new recruits before they start work. When you add to this the period of induction training which many employers provide, many staff don't enter fully into the workforce for as much as two or three months. We need to fill vacancies quickly and when suitable employees are available we need to be in a position to bring them on board immediately", she concluded.