Tánaiste Launches Guide to Working in Ireland Publication is in response to immense interest in "Jobs Ireland" campaign Almost 20,000 permits issued to immigrant workers in 2000

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment, Mary Harney, today (Thursday 18th January, 2001) launched a "Jobs Ireland" brochure and interactive CD ROM, a new quarterly publication from FÁS, the Irish training and employment authority. The brochure is designed to provide information to those overseas on working and living in Ireland.

Speaking at the launch in Iveagh House, the Tánaiste said, "this brochure and the accompanying "electronic magazine" will raise awareness of the practicalities of choosing Ireland as a career location and is a response to the immense interest which has been generated internationally by the Jobs Ireland campaign which I launched in March last year.

"We are operating in a tight labour market and it is likely that there will be an increasing demand in the medium term for workers in all sectors but particularly in the highly skilled manufacturing and services areas of the economy. That being so, we must continue to bring people into the workforce from both at home and abroad and we must also ensure that the skills levels of those people in work are continually upgraded," said the Tánaiste.

"The Government have a wide range of policies in place to maximise labour supply including the fundamental reform of the tax system and the provision of employment services and training programmes. But the Government is also encouraging immigration to augment the supply of labour available domestically. In recent years, immigration has been running at about 45,000 annually of which about half have been returing emigrants," the Tánaiste added.

"Last year my Department issued more than 18,000 work permits and this represented a three-fold increase on the previous year. In addition we issued almost 1,400 work visas as a part of the new streamlined system to facilitate immigrant workers in keys sectors such as nursing and the IT and construction industries."

The Tánaiste pointed to the Jobs Ireland campaign which she said was a key element of a comprehensive programme aimed at attracting an increased supply of overseas workers to Ireland.

The Tánaiste said, "over 70 indigineous and multinational companies across all industry sectors have participated in the campaign in the past year. They travelled to locations as diverse as Newfoundland, Berlin, Prague, London, Birmingham, and South Africa. This new brochure will provide an important impetus to the campaign and be a valuable source of information for anyone contemplating Ireland as a location in which to further their career."

The "Jobs Ireland" brochure is published by FÁS and is aimed at overseas jobseekers interested in living and working in Ireland. It provides information on Ireland as well as profiles of employers who have recruited overseas workers and of foreign nationals already living and working in Ireland.

The brochure will be available in all Irish embassies and consulates abroad.