In the last week, the CCAB-I responded to the consultation on the Employer Permits Occupations Lists launched in July by the Department for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.
The Employer Permits Occupations Lists comprise the Critical Skills Occupations List (CSOL) and the Ineligible Occupations List (IOL). The current inclusion of accountants on the CSOL – highly skilled professional roles in high demand not always available in the resident labour force so eligible for a Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) – ensures that firms can employ non-EEA nationals to fill skills and labour gaps.
In the submission, the CCAB-I recommends that accountants be kept on the CSOL as there remains a critical shortage of qualified accountants in Ireland and an insufficient pipeline studying to become accountants to meet both current and future demand.
We highlight that the accountancy profession plays a pivotal role in delivering vital professional services and advice to all sectors of the Irish economy. It contributes to the economy through the activities of professional accounting firms (providing essential audit, tax, consulting services) and the work of professionally qualified accountants operating in finance and leadership roles across all sectors.
The submission references the Oxford Economics report, The Accountancy Profession in the UK and Ireland (2024), highlighting that the profession contributed €19.8 billion to Irish GDP in 2022 – 15% (€3 billion) of this from professional accounting firms, 85% (€16.8 billion) made up of the value provided by in-house accountants working in Irish businesses. The profession’s contribution to the Irish economy has increased by 53% since this report was last compiled in 2017.
Across the EU it is widely recognised that there is a general shortage of accountants, and our member firms have communicated to us the ongoing difficulties they are having in recruiting experienced hires from within the EEA. These capacity shortages have been exacerbated by domestic housing shortages as well as the ongoing cost-of-living pressures.
To address the lack of available skilled labour, large numbers of non-EEA qualified accountants are already being heavily relied upon for the purposes of filling vacant accounting roles in Ireland. Therefore, it is vital that accountants remain part of the CSOL to adequately meet ongoing capacity shortages.
The last review of the Employer Permits Occupations Lists took place in 2023.
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