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Emplopyment Permits Act 2024
Number 17 of 2024
EMPLOYMENT PERMITS ACT 2024
REVISED
Updated to 12 June 2026
This Revised Act is an administrative consolidation of the Employment Permits Act 2024. It is prepared by the Law Reform Commission in accordance with its function under the Law Reform Commission Act 1975 (3/1975) to keep the law under review and to undertake revision and consolidation of statute law.
All Acts up to and including the International Co-operation (Omagh Bombing Inquiry) Act 2026 (12/2026), enacted 3 June 2026, and all statutory instruments up to and including the International Protection Act 2026 (Commencement) Order 2026 (S.I. No. 244 of 2026), made 10 June 2026, were considered in the preparation of this Revised Act.
Disclaimer: While every care has been taken in the preparation of this Revised Act, the Law Reform Commission can assume no responsibility for and give no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness or up to date nature of the information provided and does not accept any liability whatsoever arising from any errors or omissions. Please notify any errors, omissions and comments by email to revisedacts@lawreform.ie.
Number 17 of 2024
EMPLOYMENT PERMITS ACT 2024
REVISED
Updated to 12 June 2026
CONTENTS
Preliminary and General
Section
1. Short title and commencement
3. Definition of “remuneration”
Employment in State of Foreign Nationals
Prohibition on employment in State without employment permit
7. Employment in State of foreign nationals
8. Non-application of section 7 to certain foreign nationals
Purposes for which employment permits may be granted
9. Purposes for which employment permit may be granted
Approved seasonal employer
10. Application for approval as approved seasonal employer
11. Refusal to approve person as approved seasonal employer
Application for employment permit
12. Application for employment permit
13. Application – information to be provided
14. Foreign nationals who may apply for dependant employment permit
15. Amendment by Minister of application
16. Recommendation by enterprise development agency
17. Consultation by Minister in respect of certain applications
18. Consideration by Minister of application
Grant of employment permit
19. Grant of employment permit by Minister
20. Cancellation of previous employment permit still in force
21. Issue of employment permit, information to be specified in permit, etc.
22. Restriction on grant of employment permit
23. Establishing need for grant of certain employment permits
24. Conditions of grant of intra-company transfer employment permit
25. Conditions of grant of contract for service employment permit
26. Change of ownership of business: change to name of employer, connected person or relevant person
27. Change of employer: application and approval of change
28. Change of employer: refusal to approve change
29. Change of approved seasonal employer: application and approval of change
30. Change of approved seasonal employer: refusal to approve change
31. Employment of non-consultant hospital doctors
Refusal to grant employment permit
32. Mandatory grounds for refusal of employment permit
33. Discretionary grounds for refusal of employment permit
34. Notification of refusal and return of fee
35. Review of decision to refuse grant of employment permit
Renewal of employment permit
36. Renewal of employment permit
37. Period for which employment permit may be renewed
38. Application of certain sections to renewal of employment permit
39. Additional grounds for refusing renewal of employment permit
Cessation of employment permit
40. Revocation of employment permit
41. Review of decision to revoke employment permit
42. Order under section 3 or 4 of Immigration Act 1999
Redundancy of certain permit holders
44. Redundancy of critical skills employment permit holder
45. Redundancy of general employment permit holder
46. Information, documents, supplementary provisions relating to redundancy
Regulations Relating to Employment Permits
47. Regulations governing grant of employment permit, etc.
48. Remuneration relating to employments
49. Criteria for making regulations under section 47
50. Regulations governing procedure in relation to applications for employment permits, etc.
Enforcement, Offences and Penalties
52. Warrant relating to offences under section 7(6)
53. Prohibition on forgery, fraudulent alteration or fraudulent use of employment permit
54. Prohibition on certain use of employment permit
55. Prohibition on deduction from remuneration and retention of personal documents
56. Provision of false or misleading information
58. Offences by body corporate
60. Prohibition on penalisation
61. Presumption of employment in certain proceedings
62. Presumptions in proceedings under Act
Miscellaneous
64. Register of employment permits
66. Notification of change of address
Transitional Provisions
70. Continuation in force of employment permits granted under Act of 2006
71. Applications for grant or renewal of employment permits under Act of 2006
72. Renewal of employment permits granted under Act of 2006
73. Review of refusal under section 12 of Act of 2006
74. Review of revocation under section 16 of Act of 2006
75. Additional transitional provisions
Consequential Amendments
76. Amendment of section 17(2) of Employment Equality Act 1998
77. Amendment of Immigration Act 2004
78. Amendment of Workplace Relations Act 2015
Enactments Offences Under which Fall within Sections 33(1)(c) and 40(1)(b)
Redress for Contravention of Section 60(3)
Acts Referred to
Bankruptcy Act 1988 (No. 27)
Carer’s Leave Act 2001 (No. 19)
Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 (No. 24)
Companies Act 2014 (No. 38)
Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act 1967 (No. 8)
Employment Agency Act 1971 (No. 27)
Employment Equality Act 1998 (No. 21)
Employment Permits Act 2003 (No. 7)
Employment Permits Act 2006 (No. 16)
European Communities Acts 1972 to 2012
Friendly Societies Acts 1896 to 2021
Health Insurance Act 1994 (No. 16)
Immigration Act 1999 (No. 22)
Immigration Act 2004 (No. 1)
Industrial and Provident Societies Acts 1893 to 2021
International Protection Act 2015 (No. 66)
Interpretation Act 2005 (No. 23)
Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 (No. 26)
Limited Partnerships Act 1907 (7 Edw. 7, c.24)
Medical Practitioners Act 2007 (No. 25)
Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act 1973 (No. 4)
National Minimum Wage Act 2000 (No. 5)
Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 (No. 20)
Payment of Wages Act 1991 (No. 25)
Petty Sessions (Ireland) Act 1851 (14 & 15 Vict., c.93)
Protected Disclosures Act 2014 (No. 14)
Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Act 2003 (No. 29)
Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001 (No. 45)
Protection of Employment (Exceptional Collective Redundancies and Related Matters) Act 2007 (No. 27)
Protection of Employment Act 1977 (No. 7)
Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act 1996 (No. 16)
Redundancy Payments Act 1967 (No. 21)
Registration of Business Names Act 1963 (No. 30)
Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (No. 10)
Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (No. 26)
Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (No. 39)
Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994 (No. 5)
Trade Union Acts 1871 to 1990
Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 (No. 10)
Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977 to 2015
Workplace Relations Act 2015 (No. 16)
Number 17 of 2024
EMPLOYMENT PERMITS ACT 2024
REVISED
Updated to 12 June 2026
An Act to provide for the grant of employment permits to certain foreign nationals for the purpose of permitting such persons to be in employment in the State; to prohibit the employment in the State of certain foreign nationals who do not have such permits; to impose certain restrictions and conditions in respect of the grant of such permits; to enable the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to make, having regard to certain matters, regulations to impose certain other restrictions and conditions in respect of the grant of such permits; to provide for the enforcement of provisions of this Act and the imposition of penalties for contraventions of this Act; to provide for civil proceedings to recompense certain foreign nationals for work done or services rendered in certain circumstances; to otherwise regulate the employment in the State of certain foreign nationals; to repeal the Employment Permits Act 2003 and the Employment Permits Act 2006; to provide for consequential amendment to certain other enactments; and to provide for related matters.
[25th June, 2024]
Be it enacted by the Oireachtas as follows: