Enterprise Minister Peter Burke will ask Cabinet on Monday (6 October 2026) to approve an immediate, time-limited relaxation of the so-called “50:50 rule,” which requires Irish-based employers to ensure that at least half their workforce are Irish, EEA, Swiss or UK nationals before a new employment permit can be issued to a non-EEA national. The rule has long been criticised by home-care providers and disability advocates, who argue that it prevents agencies from recruiting much-needed health-care assistants and domiciliary carers from outside the European Economic Area. County Clare currently has an estimated 1,100 hours of approved home help per week that cannot be delivered because of staff shortages, according to local HSE figures. Under the proposal, the ratio requirement would be suspended for the home-help and community-care sector for an initial six-month period. Employers would still have to meet all other conditions of the General Employment Permit, including paying the sectoral minimum remuneration threshold of €27,000 per year and covering private health-insurance costs. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) would monitor permit data monthly and report to Cabinet in January on whether the waiver should be extended or modified. Industry bodies such as Home and Community Care Ireland say the change could unlock “hundreds of additional carers” in the short term, easing pressure on hospitals that cannot discharge patients for lack of supports in the community. They also note that Ireland’s rapidly ageing population—people aged 65+ will rise to 1 million by 2031—means structural staff shortages will persist without a more open migration regime. For multinational employers, the decision is another signal that the Irish Government is willing to use targeted immigration tweaks to close labour-market gaps. HR teams should brief affected assignees that the waiver is narrowly focused on home-help roles; all other sectors must still comply with the 50:50 rule. However, officials in DETE have hinted that a broader review of the ratio requirement could follow if the pilot is deemed successful.
Source: Clare FM
