Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Emer Higgins, has introduced a new quota of 150 general employment permits which she says will address skills shortages in the Irish fishing fleet.
Minister Higgins said the expansion of the employment permits system to include the role of ‘sea fisher’.
The Department of Justice’s Atypical Working Scheme (AWS) for non-EEA crew in the Irish fishing fleet was established in 2015 as a response to address claims of exploitation and trafficking of undocumented non-EEA workers on certain categories of vessels in the Irish fishing fleet.
But the issue of labour shortages in the fishing sector has been raised by fishermen in West Cork and other fishing areas across Ireland in recent months.
The new quota has been introduced following a recommendation by a cross-governmental group to move the role of sea fisher from the AWS to the employment permit system.
The role of sea fisher in the Irish fishing fleet is now eligible for a general employment permit with a minimum salary requirement of €34,000, up to a quota of 150 permits.
‘This is a really positive development as non-EEA sea fishers will now have access to the same benefits and protections as other non-EEA nationals employed in the State, particularly in terms of entitlements and protections,’ said Minister Higgins.
‘The transfer of this role to the employment permit system will streamline the permission process and make it easier to recruit non-EEA sea fishers.’
