Ireland can now enable spouses and partners of employment permit holders, already in the State, to work to fill vital gaps in the Irish workforce, such as in healthcare and construction.
The Government will begin to roll out a single permit to both work and live in Ireland, creating a smoother, more efficient system for applicants; thereby increasing Ireland’s attractiveness for the skills and talent the economy needs.
Ireland will work towards opting-in to the EU Single Permit Directive as a key part of the EU Skills and Talent Package, working with EU partners.
The Minister for Justice Mrs Helen McEntee TD and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mr Peter Burke TD, yesterday (Wednesday May 15th), announced that they have secured Government agreement for a number of key actions to increase the competitiveness of Ireland in attracting the skills and talent the Irish economy requires.
This will enable all eligible spouses and partners of employment permit holders to work, if they are already in the State and are granted permission to live in Ireland with their family member. Implementing a single permit will eventually allow Ireland to opt into the EU’s Single Permit Directive.
Both of these new measures should significantly enhance Ireland’s ability to compete internationally to attract talent, addressing skills shortages in the Irish economy, thus promoting economic growth.
Presently, applicants must apply to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment for a work permit, before then applying to the Department of Justice to obtain a visa. By introducing one single permission/application, Ireland can reduce the cost and complexity for both the employer and applicant, thus ensuring that Ireland can respond more effectively and quickly to meet the skills needs of the economy.
Skills gaps affect all EU Member States, including Ireland. All EU Member States, except Ireland and Denmark, already operate a single permit for employment and residence. Other key partners, such as the UK and the US, also operate single application procedures and single permits. The currently operated process requiring separate applications, creates greater bureaucracy, risking placing Ireland at a competitive disadvantage in attracting skills and talent to the Irish economy.
By opting in to the Single Permit Directive, the Government will remove barriers in attracting key skills into Ireland, in important sectors such as healthcare and construction and reduce the cost and complexity of the current system.
Many spouses are skilled workers who have left significant jobs and employment oppertunities, in order to join their families within the Irish State, and who wish to continue their careers here in Ireland.
Currently, the ability to work without a permit was only provided to spouses and partners of Critical Skills Employment Permit holders. This has now been extended to include General Employment Permit holders and Intra-Corporate Transferee Permit holders who are already in the State and who have been granted permission to live in Ireland with their family member. Current and future permit holders, whose spouses or partners are not in the State, will still need to apply for family reunification after 12 months
This change will, it is hoped, have an immediate positive impact for the economy and for spouses and partners who wish to work in Ireland, assisting them to contribute to the economy through taxation, to further integrate and to provide for their families.
This collision is almost a repeat of what had occurred at this very same spot on March 20th last, [see that of which I speak, HERE], which resulted in the total removal of that signage and its information, which as of yet has never been replaced.
This second collision is further proof, (as if proof was in ever in doubt), of the continued ongoing waste of funding by Tipperary engineers and other officials.
Did we really need to have a large motorway sign jutting out across a footpath, informing drivers of a now deserted/destroyed town centre; when the Thurles town centre, has moved to Thurles Shopping centre, across from the sign; thus rendering same totally obsolete.
Meanwhile, on June 7th 2024, you will be asked to vote once again for those who destroyed this once thriving business centre known as Liberty Square.
This damaged sign now needs to be made safe, as soon as possible, as the remaining clips holding the bent “Durlas Town Centre”, section is liable to fall on some unsuspecting pedestrian.
No directional sign for Dublin currently available, in Liberty Squarehaving also been damaged/struck by a high sided vehicle.
Talking of ‘bent directional signs’ – ‘high sided motor vehicles’ – and the deliberate ‘wasting of taxpayers money’, by Tipperary engineers and other council officials; what has happened to the sign for Dublin, latter also recently removed by the council and not replaced?
Hundreds of town centre buildings across Tipperary could, and should, be brought back into residential use through the introduction of an EU-backed funding scheme, according to one Independent candidate for Ireland South in the upcoming European Elections.
Independent TD Mr Michael McNamara is advocating for greater funding as part of the European Green Deal to increase Ireland’s housing stock, through the conversion and renovation of upper floors, over commercial business units.
He said that many Tipperary business premises, which once had families living over them, now lie empty over ground level for a variety of reasons, including particularly building regulations and insurance costs.
“Market towns like Thurles, Nenagh, Tipperary, Carrick-on-Suir, Cashel, Clonmel and Cahir have streets full of fine old buildings where there is a retail unit at ground level and in many but not all cases, they are vacant over ground level. Decades ago, there were families living in them,” explained McNamara.
He continued, “I don’t underestimate the difficulty of converting those back into residential use. There are regulations and issues around financing, but it would offer many benefits not just in housing, but also benefits for the environment and for society. Bringing vacant buildings back into use, whether for business or residential purposes, injects life into our towns and villages and delivers homes,” said Mr McNamara. “Everybody agrees that vacant units and dereliction is a problem and that we need to bring these properties back into use, but nobody seems to be doing anything about it in the midst of a housing crisis and unprecedented demand for residential property in towns and villages across the whole country.”
Mr McNamara, who is currently an Independent TD for Clare, cited how a team of Irish architects who attended the 2018 Venice Biennale, (Latter a International Cultural Exhibition hosted annually in Italy), had highlighted how market towns could be reinvigorated.
He stated, “I have seen European cities and towns, such as Porto, transform their town centres by getting people back living in them. There appears to be little if any movement in this regard in Ireland which is a massive, wasted opportunity when we look at how our town centres are becoming dead zones after business hours due to there being few people living there. While the Government’s Croí Cónaithe Scheme was a step in the right direction, I have been contacted by many who found it overly bureaucratic. It is clear from canvassing across the constituency that, despite good intentions, it has not worked. I recently raised the issue in the Dáil with the former Taoiseach Mr Leo Varadkar who said there was merit to my proposal to introduce a pilot project to bring properties in market towns back into residential use,” added Deputy McNamara.
“As always, financing appears to be a stumbling block. Fire regulations are another. While it is essential that all dwellings must be safe, if medieval buildings across European cities can be safely inhabited, it must be possible to look at this anew and introduce to ensure that these buildings can again host families on the main streets of our towns and cities. If I am elected as MEP for Ireland South, I will advocate for funding as part of the European Green Deal to be diverted to convert vacant above shop units“, Deputy McNamara concluded.
EPA report shows low uptake of Green Public Procurement in government department contracts.
Of €922 million spend by government departments on contracts in 2022, 34% included green criteria.
The increase in the use of green criteria (10% in 2021, 34% in 2022) is encouraging, but still at a low level.
All government departments must improve their implementation of Green Public Procurement and purchase more resource-efficient and less polluting goods, services and works.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has today published its third report on Green Public Procurement(GPP) activity in government departments. GPP is a process where public authorities seek to source goods, services or works that have a reduced environmental impact throughout their life-cycle.
The report details that out of the reported €922 million spend on contracts greater than €25,000 and signed in 2022, just 34% of the spend included green criteria. While it is encouraging to see an improvement compared to the previous year (10% in 2021, 34% in 2022), overall the use of green criteria is inconsistent across government departments and at a low level, relative to total spend.
Launching the report Ms Laura Burke, Director General, said: “Our latest report shows an encouraging increase in the implementation of Green Public Procurement by government departments. But the use of Green Public Procurement is still low, with only a quarter of in scope ICT Product contracts incorporating green criteria, and less than half in some other sectors such as transport and cleaning services. This is a missed opportunity by the Government sector to show leadership in purchasing more resource efficient and less polluting goods, services and works. For example, introduction of green criteria can deliver carbon reductions, conserve water, improve air and water quality and prevent waste.”
Summary Data.
Department.
No. of contracts over €25,000 signed in 2022 incorporating GPP.
Percentage of total spend reported on contracts over €25,000 signed in 2022 incorporating GPP.
Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation & Science.
0
0%
Health.
4
9%
Housing, Local Government & Heritage.
5
12%
Justice.
2
not known*[*value of contracts not given]
Public Expenditure & Reform.
19
64%
Rural & Community Development.
8
96%
Social Protection.
25
17%
The Taoiseach.
10
88%
Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media.
3
45%
Transport.
3
100%
The EPA report sets out the following five recommendations:
Assign senior level responsibility within government departments to prioritise the incorporation of GPP into procurement processes, including the Corporate Procurement Plan.
Include GPP data in Government Department Annual Reports.
The report ‘Green Public Procurement: Monitoring and Reporting by Government Departments, 2022 Reference Year’ is now available on the EPA website, HERE.
Independent TD Michael McNamara, highlights concentration of land ownership in South Co. Tipperary.
Independent TD Mr Michael McNamara has called on Dáil Éireann to set aside time for a discussion on the purchase of vast tracts of farmland in South Tipperary by Mr John Magnier and called for measures to combat further concentration of ownership.
The Independent TD for Co. Clare has expressed his concern that the accumulation of thousands of acres of land in the Golden Vale is leading to local farmers being priced out of land, at a time when the agriculture sector is already facing excessive operating costs.
Deputy McNamara said the situation reflects the ongoing, profound changes underway in rural Ireland regarding the acquisition of prime agricultural land by trust funds and the resultant negative consequences for the agriculture sector.
Addressing the Ceann Comhairle today, Deputy McNamara asked, “Will all of South Tipperary have to be owned by one man and trust funds linked to him, before the matter is debated in this house and measures are taken to prevent that concentration of land ownership, because of the economic and social consequences of that?”
Speaking during the Order of Business in Dail Éireann, the Independent TD added, “Just because one is a large donor to the parties in government should not preclude one from examination in this house.”
Following Deputy McNamara’s request, a vote on the Order of Business for this week was held and subsequently defeated by the government parties.
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