Spouses and partners of intra-company employment permit holders can now work in Ireland – Stanton

Access to the labour market will now be automatically granted to the spouses and partners of intra-company employment permit holders, a Fine Gael Deputy has said.

Deputy David Stanton, Fine Gael spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment said that this development will be a key factor in attracting and retaining talent for Ireland.

The Intra-Company Transfer Employment (ICT) Permit is designed to allow skilled workers transfer from overseas branches of multinational corporations to their Irish branches.

Deputy Stanton said: “Until now spouses of ICT permit holders could move to Ireland immediately but were not entitled to engage in employment. If they were offered a job or wanted to work, they had to apply for a separate employment permit.

“These kinds of employment permits are a very important incentive for new companies setting up in Ireland, but family access to employment will be a game changer for these workers. Many highly skilled people may choose not to take up the opportunity to relocate to countries where their partners will find it difficult to get employment.

“Similarly, both Irish and foreign based established companies with an international footprint also value the opportunity to transfer highly skilled staff to different global locations for set time periods, in order to build leadership and access vital skills and experience.

“I have worked on securing this for some time and I am delighted with Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee’s proactive and collaborative approach in addressing the shortfalls in our work permit systems. Together with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, we have ensured that Ireland can continue to source the best talent from all over the world.” Deputy Stanton said.

Speaking in Dáil today, Minister Helen McEntee said: “Fundamentally, I saw this as a missed opportunity for Ireland. It risked making Ireland less attractive for workers and limiting a person’s ability to contribute to the economy and provide for their family.

“I thank the Deputy Stanton for raising this important issue and for his continued advocacy on this issue over the years.” Minister McEntee concluded.