The government was cautioned by Enterprise Ireland about missing opportunities to recruit highly skilled workers due to drawn-out processes for obtaining official employment permissions. Any new employee had to be individually authorised by the Department of Enterprise, a procedure which the organisation found too time-consuming, particularly as the contracts were typically standard formats.
In a memo sent in autumn last year, the agency expressed that this process was a cause for significant delays and added unnecessary administrative work, providing no direct benefit to the taxpayer. The briefing document also indicated how the drawn-out process compromised the agency’s capacity to deliver a complete service to its clients and achieve its strategic objectives.
Entreprise Ireland also highlighted its struggles when trying to move staff between offices to handle specific issues, such as Brexit, or to aide in projects like Global Ireland. The procedure for staff shifting was lengthy, thus impacting the organisation’s capacity to address market and business demands.
Losing potential hires to competitors due to hiring delays was another key concern. The memo detailed several instances where selected candidates had chosen to accept other positions while Enterprise Ireland was awaiting employment permissions. The agency felt these hiring delays widened the skill gap and increased job vacancy rates.
Two specific instances were pointed out from the previous year. One case involved a candidate from Johannesburg, South Africa, who had shown an interest in joining the agency on April 4th. But due to the wait for contract approval, the individual withdrew their application on May 19th and accepted a different role. Similarly, a job offer was extended to a senior market advisor in Copenhagen, Denmark, on August 29th, 2022. However, the approval did not come until October 10th, and two days prior, the candidate pulled out their application.
Enterprise Ireland has voiced concerns over the irregularities in the system by which specific employees are awarded “hardship allowances”, contingent upon their city of placement. This method mirrors that of the Department of Foreign Affairs, rating allowances based on proximate distance from Ireland and the assumed difficulties imposed by residing in cities burdened by pollution or security constraints. Enterprise Ireland suggested that there is an unfairness for its staff situated in certain locations, as the Department of Foreign Affairs provides them with less compensation compared to the diplomatic staff who receive other financial assistance.
In conversations held via email, Enterprise Ireland clarified that their point was not to unfairly criticise the department, but to imply that an improved system could prove advantageous for everyone. When inquired about the details outlined, Enterprise Ireland made a statement clarifying they had no more to contribute to the matter.