Businesses in Ireland are urging the government to simplify the visa and work permit process in order to address the severe skills gap in the country’s SME sector. According to a survey released by Chambers Ireland, 95% of micro-businesses are struggling to recruit employees with the necessary skills and qualifications. Similarly, 78% of medium-sized firms reported recruitment challenges, with two-thirds stating difficulties in finding managers with the required knowledge. More than half of small businesses also faced challenges in recruiting customer-facing roles.
Chambers Ireland CEO, Ian Talbot, highlighted the impact of these recruitment challenges on businesses’ growth and trade. He stressed the need for the government to streamline the permitting and visa process, advocating for a single application process and fewer, broader permits. While Chambers Ireland welcomed the increased resources allocated to permits by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, they emphasized the importance of faster and more flexible visa processing within the Department of Justice.
Talbot emphasized the need to make Ireland a more attractive destination for workers, stating that the country’s infrastructure and services are struggling to meet demand. He argued that bureaucratic processes should not create additional barriers to talent attraction and called on the government to prioritize delivering on non-complex matters within its control without delay.