Madam, – The Government’s changes to the work permit system due to come into effect on June 1st would make one wonder, more than ever, if Government departments ever adhere to the much espoused “joined-up thinking” approach.
One of the key changes that the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will implement is the labour market test. If an employee holding a work permit is made redundant then any prospective employers will have to undertake an eight-week labour market test before hiring that same work permit holder. The labour market test stipulates that the job must be advertised for eight weeks with Fás and for six days in the national press. At this time, potential employers would not even remotely consider an eight-week wait before recruiting a potential employee, not to mention funding a six-day national media advertising campaign.
In May 2008, Mr Conor Lenihan launched “Migration Nation” which was viewed to be a definitive statement of Government policy and strategy with regard to integration. The Minster stated clearly and in no uncertain terms that he wished to avoid the advent of parallel communities.
The thinking of our policy makers always seems to have been that immigration policies have no direct correlation with integration of immigrants. Parallel communities will of course arise and those who have spent the past five or six years working and contributing to the Irish economy will have three choices: to disappear into the shadow economy; to legally take on the State; or to move on.
Parallel thinking leads to parallel universes. – Yours, etc,