Employers have had it their own way for years under a system which effectively privatised migrant labour recruitment, writes Nuala Haughey
The forthcoming changes to the work permit system follows efforts by the authorities for more than a year to ensure that local labour was not being bypassed in favour of cheaper migrant workers.
These efforts have failed, as can be seen in documents from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FÁS released under the Freedom of Information Act.
The Department last November cited convincing evidence from FÁS that a significant number of employers have developed a "first preference" for labour from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) - the EU countries as well as Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland.
Procedures aimed at ensuring a greater supply of labour from domestic or EEA citizens, who do not need work permits, have been of "very limited use", according to the discussion document presented to the Tánaiste, Ms Harney.
When labour shortages were at their most acute in 2000 and 2001, the rule that employers had to show they had tried through advertising with FÁS to fill vacancies closer to home went largely unpoliced.
This relaxed regime allowed some employers to bring in foreign workers who would work for less than domestic unskilled labour, doing the kinds of jobs that Irish people no longer want to do for the same money.
FÁS has noted "anecdotal evidence" that part of the rise in youth unemployment in 2002 reflects some employers' preferences for work-permit recruits rather than young Irish people.
The Department anticipates that employers will resist a more rigorous approach to the issuing of work permits when there is still virtually full employment. They will argue that "a considerable section of the residual unemployed does not want to work or wants to be paid cash and allowed to continue 'sign on'," its discussion document states.
However, it also anticipates that the country may be facing a period of rising redundancies in the private sector, especially in lower skilled areas. It is clearly this factor which has led both FÁS and the Department to decide to grasp the nettle with the changes due to be announced within days.
Employers have had it their own way for years under a work-permit system which effectively privatises migrant labour recruitment. This ad hoc system - for it can only be called that - has worked after a fashion, with the authorities content to try to turn the tap on and off when required.
But the State has abdicated its responsibility to make choices about who it wants to invite to live and work in Ireland. Instead we are living with the choices of others, namely employers and recruitment agencies.
In the long-term, FÁS advocates a move to a new system based on nationally identified, occupation/skill-linked immigration needs and procedures.
It highlights immigration models that might be customised for Ireland, such as a points systems, lotteries or quotas. It is understood the authorities will begin assessing the need for a formal system of permanent immigration this year.
Instead of constantly turning the tap this way and that, clearly we need to change the plumbing.