Department to issue 150 work permits for non-EEA sea crew to address shortage
Working Of Justice Replace Will In Certain Of Atypical Work The Former Scheme Vessels Which From Workers On It Non The Helped File Eea Fishing Julien Behal/pa Photo: The Recruitment Department (aws) To
Some 150 work permits will be allotted for non-EEA sea fishers to help address the skills shortage in the Irish fishing industry.
The new quota, announced by the Department of Enterprise on Wednesday, will allow the fishers to work under a General Work Permit with a minimum salary requirement of €34,000.
It will replace the former Atypical Working Scheme (AWS) from the Department of Justice which helped in the recruitment of non-EEA workers to work on certain fishing vessels.
The AWS was created in 2015 to address claims of exploitation and trafficking of undocumented non-EEA sea fishers. However, following a review in 2022, the AWS was shut down.
Following a recommendation made by a Cross-Governmental group, the role of sea fishers was then moved on from the AWS to the Employment Permit System.
Minister of State for Enterprise, Emer Higgins said the transfer will help “streamline the permission process and make it easier to recruit non-EEA sea fishers".
“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,” she added.
While the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) welcomed the announcement on Wednesday, it says it has been “overdue by some six months".
“It has been 18 months since vessel owners have had a legal means to recruit non-EEA crew,” he told the .
“During that time unfortunately at least several dozens of Indonesian, Filipino, Egyptian and Ghanaian crew have been recruited illegally by Irish vessel owners by various means. We need to get these crew regularised into this permit system.”
Mr O’Brien added that the minimum salary represents a “significant increase on the minimum salary associated with the old Atypical Scheme".