Small firms lobby group ISME has called for the retention of the "passports-for-jobs" scheme. However, it says the names of those who avail of the scheme should be published.

Representatives from the group met Department of Justice officials in Dublin yesterday to argue for the scheme to be retained, but made more transparent. In a statement, ISME said it acknowledged "the scheme had been brought into disrepute in Ireland by virtue of the absence of transparency and approvals being made on a party political basis".