The Irish government has announced the introduction of revised legislation for work permits, which will make it more difficult for foreign nationals to seek employment in Ireland. The changes, which were reported at irishtimes.com, will come into effect on June 1 and apply primarily to first-time entrants in the labor market.

The key provisions of the revised legislation are:

• Permits will not be granted for jobs paying less than 30,000 Euros per year.
• Permits will not be granted for a number of professions including domestic workers and HGV (heavy goods vehicle) drivers.
• Stricter conditions for the renewal of permits—including higher fees—will apply.
• Spouses and dependents of future work permit holders will need to apply for permits in their own right.

The green card list, which covers professions offering salaries between 30,000 and 59,999 Euros per year, also has been revised. As of June 1, a number of positions in the healthcare, financial services and marketing sector also will be ineligible for work permits.

In announcing the coming changes, Mary Coughlan, Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment, commented that the revised legislation was needed due to the changing realities of the Irish labor market. So far in 2009, Ireland has granted a total of 2,087 work permits to foreign nationals, compared to 23,722 for the same period two years ago.