Residency Permits
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-13
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Alan Dillon (FG), Mayo

The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Deputy O’Callaghan, has complete ownership of matters relating to the granting of visa and immigration permissions and is solely responsible for the administration of its registration appointment service. Queries relating to immigration status or any initiatives or temporary flexibilities in accessing its services during periods of high demand should be addressed to that Department.
My Department has responsibility for the employment permits legislation which provides permission to take up employment in the State subject to the granting of immigration permission to enter for that purpose by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. It is my understanding that all employment permit holders can commence the employment stated on the permit while awaiting confirmation of their immigration permission to remain. A period is provided to facilitate registration with immigration service delivery. However, it is the responsibility of the non-EEA worker to ensure his or her permission is appropriate and up to date.
Significant work has been carried out by my Department to ensure that the national economic migration system supports all sectors of our economy. The new employment permit system has made the application process easier, more secure and more intuitive, resulting in a more streamlined processing experience. These timelines have been steadily decreasing and I am confident that this positive trend will continue. Processing timelines currently stand at seven business days for a critical skills employment permit and 25 business days for a general employment permit.
In particular, I have engaged closely with representatives of the health and social care sector to support that sector. This includes ensuring speedy delivery of permits for non-consultant hospital doctor rotations, ensuring access to a nursing workforce and recent engagement on the topic of healthcare assistants and home carers. My Department does not engage with the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration regarding its processing times for individual visas. However, I am working closely with the Minister of State, Deputy Colm Brophy, in regard to a single permit.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-13/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:30+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-13