We welcome today's announcement from Minister English introducing 500 new permits in the Dairy Sector. These permits will provide a short-term solution for the labour shortage being experienced by dairy farmers.
An increasing number of dairy farmers are utilising employment permits to ease staffing shortages. Timelines for permit applications have been greatly reduced in recent weeks, with the current processing of applications reaching an all-time low of two weeks.
Today’s announcement will ensure that in the short-to-medium term, the dairy sector's immediate labour requirements can be partly met by recruiting non-EEA workers through the employment permit system.
Our Head of HR & Payroll Services, Mary McDonagh, said:
“Our 2022 Irish Farm Report found that almost a third of farmers find it difficult to find available employees, while 77% of those planning to recruit would consider hiring outside the EU. The announcement from Minister English, with engagement from Minister Heydon, will have a positive impact on helping the sector with this challenge.”