THE NUMBER of people from outside the EU working in Ireland under the State’s work permit regime fell by 19 per cent last year and is now back at levels not seen since the start of the last decade.
At the end of December 2010, 18,987 foreign nationals held live work permits, down from 23,470 people in 2009 and 30,556 in 2008.
A total of 7,786 work permits were issued last year to foreign nationals, slightly lower than the 7,962 work permits issued during 2009 by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation.
The fall in the number of non- EU nationals holding work permits reflects the significant increase in unemployment in the Republic during the recession and new tougher Government policies toward issuing permits.
Figures published yesterday show Indian nationals were issued 2,137 work permits last year, the highest number issued to non-EU nationals. This compares to 1,788 work permits issued to Indians during 2009.
Some 1,299 permits were issued to Filipinos in 2010, down from 1,424 a year earlier. Romanian nationals, who still have to apply for permits even though they are EU nationals, due to transitional restrictions imposed by the Government, were issued 831 permits. US nationals were issued 421 permits last year.
Some 284 non-EU nationals working for the Health Service Executive were issued with permits in 2010, making the HSE the biggest single employer of new work permit holders in 2010.
The second-biggest employer of new work permit holders is Indian technology company Wipro Technologies, while US technology firm Google has moved into third place by employing 119 permit holders.
“These work permit figures reflect the fact there will always be a certain level of high-skills technology, medical and engineering intracompany transfers into Ireland,” said Bill Abom of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland.
But he said the figures showed a huge drop in live permits since the high point of immigration into Ireland in the middle of the decade, when the number of live permits was more than 60,000. “This is a reflection of the economic situation,” Mr Abom added.
The 2010 figures show 4,079 of the 7,786 work permits issued last year were renewals by non-EU nationals already working in Ireland. Some 2,885 work permits were issued to first-time applicants, highlighting the end of a decade of immigration into Ireland by non-EU nationals.
A big rise in unemployment led the Government in 2009 to introduce new restrictions on non-EU nationals. These rules require employers to advertise longer to try to find Irish or EU nationals before offering a job to or getting a reissued visa for a migrant worker from outside the EU.
Permits are no longer issued for most low-paid positions under €30,000 and certain categories. HGV drivers and domestic workers are no longer eligible to take up new positions.
The Government has also taken a tougher line on issuing spousal visas for non-EU migrant workers and has increased the fee for renewing a permit.
It refused 1,080 applications for work permits in 2010 and withdrew 213 permits. In 2009, the Government refused 1,901 applications for work permits and withdrew 442 work permits. The last time the number of work permits issued by the Government to non-EU nationals fell below the number issued in 2010 was in 1999, when 6,250 work permits were issuedby the State.
NON-EU WORKERS PERMITS BY COUNTRY AND EMPLOYERS:
Top 10 non-EU nationals issued with work permits in 2010:
1 Indian 2,137
2 Filipino 1,299
3 Romanian * 831
4 American 421
5 Brazilian 355
6 Chinese 346
7 Malaysian 282
8 Ukrainian 220
9 South African 217
10 Pakistani 178
* EU member restrictions apply
Top 10 Irish firms issued with new work permits in 2010:
1 HSE 284
2 Wipro Technologies 129
3 Google Ireland 119
4 IBM Ireland 70
5 Kepak group 56
6 Tata Consultancy Services 56
7 Liffey Meats 44
8 Beaumont Hospital 42
9 St James’s Hospital 42
10 Accenture 32