Business group Dublin Chamber has welcomed the announcement that spouses and partners of highly skilled workers will now have immediate access to the Irish labour market.

Dublin Chamber was responding to changes announced today by the Government to the Critical Skills Employment Permit (Stamp 3), which will give partners and spouses of permit holders immediate and full access to the labour market without the need for a separate employment permit.  
 
The Chamber said this was an issue that had been flagged by a number of employers in Dublin over the past few years – with the issue becoming a growing barrier to attracting and retaining key staff.

Critical Skills Employment Permits are issued to overseas workers who have valuable skillsets that are in high demand from key sectors of the economy such as engineering and ICT. 
 
Speaking this week, Dublin Chamber CEO, Mary Rose Burke said, "Dublin Chamber has been campaigning on this issue over the past year. The old system posed a real challenge for highly-skilled employees who came to Dublin from outside the European Economic Area. This change sends a message that Ireland is serious about attracting the best staff to come and work here and is an important step in making Ireland a more welcoming place for international talent."

Source: www.businessworld.ie