Extra staff is to be allocated to process applications for permits to work in Ireland especially for people from outside the EU.
The recruitment of temporary and permanent staff is to increase permanent processing capacity by over 100% and overall capacity by over 200% compared November levels.
898 permit applications were processed last week, which is over triple the 259 processed in the same week last year.
Processing time for Critical Skills Employment Permits is now 7 weeks for Trusted Partners and 9 weeks for standard applications.
These have reduced from 14 weeks and 21 weeks respectively.
The backlog of applications is now 8,851 according to the Taoiseach Micheal Martin.
The Taoiseach revealed the figures when responding to Tipperary TD Michael Lowry. Deputy Lowry is seeking a fast track system to process work permit applications to enable employers in the health care, food processing, hospitality, agricultural and transport to source staff.
Without a fast track system for Non-EU Work Permits many businesses in these sectors face collapse’ according to Deputy Lowry.
