Multiple Dublin–Holyhead ferry crossings cancelled on 23 July, disrupting land-bridge freight and weekend travel
Ryanair unveils €50 million engineering campus at Shannon Airport
EU quietly removes Q4 2026 launch date for ETIAS, sowing confusion for Irish-bound British travellers
Latest News
Irish employment-permit processing times updated: backlogs ease for Critical Skills visas
DETE’s 23 July dashboard shows incremental improvements: Critical Skills work-permit files dated 2 July are now being processed, General Employment Permit files dated 11 June are under review, and ICT permits from 19 June have entered the queue. Renewal and appeal files remain paused at early April and late December respectively. Employers will benefit from slightly shorter lead-times for critical hires but should still file early and monitor renewal delays.
Fáilte Project extends ‘Day One’ support for asylum seekers at Dublin’s Balseskin Reception Centre
NGO JRS Ireland used International Migrants Day to showcase its Fáilte Project at Balseskin Reception Centre, which provides critical ‘Day One’ guidance and wellbeing support to newly arrived asylum seekers in Dublin. Early orientation helps reduce legal delays and eases integration, offering a template for public-private collaboration in Ireland’s stretched protection system.
Foreign Affairs publishes 2026-2029 Public Sector Duty plan, pledges faster passport turnarounds and accessible consular services
Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs has published a three-year Public Sector Duty Action Plan that doubles as a service-improvement roadmap for passport and consular functions. Headline measures include cutting standard online passport turnaround to seven days, expanding urgent appointments and integrating queue data into government APIs—changes that will benefit employers managing frequent international travel.
EU ambassadors approve extension of Ukraine temporary-protection scheme until 2028 under Irish Presidency
Coreper II, chaired by Ireland, approved a Decision on 22 July to prolong the EU’s temporary-protection regime for Ukrainian refugees until 4 March 2028. The move secures work and residence rights for 96,000 people in Ireland and over 4 million across the EU, giving employers certainty and schools time to plan. Ireland’s Presidency fast-tracked the file to conclusion before the summer recess.
Ireland Updates Employment Permit Processing Dates as Backlogs Ease
DETE’s 22 July refresh shows Critical Skills permit applications filed up to 7 July and GEPs up to 15 June are now being processed, the first meaningful backlog reduction since spring. Faster decisions will help multinationals schedule August-September start dates and avoid costly project delays. Reviews and appeals remain slow, so employers should still plan an eight-week lead time.
Ireland publishes 22 July employment-permit processing update, offering clearer timelines for foreign talent
DETE’s 22 July bulletin shows Critical Skills permit files from 7 July and GEP files from 15 June now under review, signalling modest relief for Ireland’s labour-migration backlog. Renewals and appeals remain stalled. The update lets multinationals firm up start dates, but continued delays for renewals and dependants still complicate travel and compliance planning.
Irish-led Consular Affairs working party maps next steps for digital Schengen visa at 22 July session
At the 22 July meeting of the Council’s Working Party on Consular Affairs, chaired by Ireland, EU states endorsed a roadmap toward a fully digital Schengen visa by 2028 and adopted templates for joint crisis-evacuation frameworks. Ireland pledged to align its national visa IT overhaul with the EU model, signalling future changes for applicants in Dublin.
Irish-Led EU Working Party Seeks Stronger Crisis Consular Network
Meeting in Brussels under Ireland’s EU Presidency, the COCON Working Party on 22 July discussed an Irish plan for a shared EU register of citizens abroad and joint evacuation protocols. If adopted, the system would give Irish business travellers faster access to emergency documents and streamlined crisis support from any EU embassy.
Czech Embassy in Dublin Releases Limited Schengen Visa Slots for Late-Summer Travel
At 13:00 on 22 July, the Czech Embassy in Dublin opened its next set of Schengen visa appointments—and saw them booked out in under an hour. The scramble highlights growing pressure on Schengen visa capacity for Ireland-based third-country nationals. Mobility managers should book at least a month in advance and ensure complete documentation to avoid costly rejections.
Revenue & Finance issue eWithholding-Tax consultation report, flagging changes for inbound contractors
A joint Revenue–Finance report released on 22 July outlines Ireland’s forthcoming eWithholding Tax regime for non-resident service providers. From 2028, Irish clients will have to deduct tax in real time once a foreign contractor exceeds 30 work-days, with data shared across tax and immigration systems. The move will reshape compliance for short-term assignees and gig-economy platforms.
CSO Innovation Survey Reveals Spread of Remote-Work Culture, Underscoring Mobility Policy Shifts
CSO’s 22 July innovation survey shows that two-thirds of large Irish companies and over one-third of SMEs have introduced new processes to support remote and cross-border working. With more firms hiring staff based overseas, mobility policies are pivoting toward shorter, more flexible assignments—signalling a need to reassess immigration and tax compliance frameworks.
TADEUS plenary in Dublin explores digital tax-residency certificates for Europe’s mobile workforce
The 22 July plenary of the Tax Administrations EU Summit in Dublin focused on creating digital tax-residency certificates that travellers could carry on their phones, signalling a move toward seamless, mobility-friendly taxation across the EU. Ireland used the platform to position itself at the centre of the initiative and link it to its own eWHT reforms.