Restrictions on the types of jobs that immigrants on work permits can fill have been eased slightly by the authorities.
Despite the rising numbers of redundancies, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has made only minor changes to a list of occupational categories for which foreign workers on permits cannot be recruited.
Restrictions to the main immigrant labour recruitment scheme were introduced last April amid concerns that employers were bypassing local workers in favour of less costly migrant workers.
People from outside the European Economic Area, which comprises the EU states plus Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland, require work permits to take up jobs here. EEA nationals do not need work permits.
The Department yesterday issued an updated list of occupational categories which will remain off-limits for work permits until December. This is based on an assessment by FÁS and the Department that there are sufficient personnel to fill vacancies in these areas, either domestically or within the EEA.
These include all clerical and administrative positions, operator and production staff, general labourers and builders, sales staff including retail sales, reception and bar staff, childcare workers including child-minders, crèche workers and nannies, and craft workers including carpenters, joiners, electricians and plumbers.
Four occupational categories have been removed from the restricted list since April, thereby allowing employers to recruit migrants on work permits to fill jobs in these areas. These are international drivers of heavy goods vehicles, aircraft mechanics/engineers, fish processors and plasterers.
Before applying for permits for migrant workers to take up jobs in these sectors, as well as all others not listed as ineligible for permits, employers must make an initial attempt to fill posts with Irish or EEA nationals.
The changes were announced yesterday by the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, who also said "very specific preference" would be given to people from EU accession states in considering work permit applications between now and accession on May 1st, 2004.
From that date, nationals of the 10 EU accession countries will be automatically entitled to work in Ireland without work permits. Currently about 35 per cent of work permits are for workers from EU accession countries but the Department believes it could in future meet up to 85 per cent of the State's labour needs with workers from these countries.
The Irish Business Employers' Confederation, which expressed "extreme concern" about the restrictions last April, yesterday said the new arrangements were not "the worst case scenario".