Non-EU bus drivers may be brought in to resolve recruitment problem

Non-EU bus drivers could be permitted to work in Ireland for the first time in an effort to tackle the recruitment crisis in the industry.

The Department of Transport is in negotiations with the Department of Enterprise to secure work permits for drivers from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) by adding the profession to the list of “critical skills” in short supply in the State and throughout the EU.

In recent weeks, Minister of State Damien English wrote to a training and recruitment company, which was seeking visas for drivers on behalf of bus companies, to say that all applications for permits for non-EEA drivers “will be refused” because they were not on the list of roles in short supply.

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The National Transport Authority (NTA) subsequently wrote to the Department of Transport seeking its intervention to afford bus companies “the opportunity to recruit outside of the EU for bus drivers”.

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Excessive delays

The NTA, Dublin Bus and private operator Go-Ahead last week appeared before an Oireachtas transport committee to answer questions in relation to the poor quality of bus services in the capital in recent months, specifically the cancellation of buses and excessive delays.

All three organisations cited recruitment difficulties as a barrier to maintaining services. Bus companies nationally are also struggling to recruit drivers.

T&S training, a Tipperary-based driver training and recruitment firm, said it had sought work permits for South African bus drivers on behalf of a bus company which runs services from regional cities to Dublin.

“These experienced drivers speak fluent English and drive on the same side of the road as we do,” said John Shanahan, senior trainer with T&S.

The bus company in question, which asked not to be named for commercial reasons, had sought the non-EEA drivers after “many advertisements with little or no return in Ireland and Europe” and would struggle to maintain routes from next year.

Quota anomaly

“All bus firms have been advertising in Ireland and Europe and there are no drivers,” Mr Shanahan said.

T&S is involved in the processing of work permits for HGV drivers, who are on the critical skills list, and has already secured work for South African drivers.

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“There is no quota for HGV drivers — you can bring in as many as you want. That is the anomaly — there is no quota for HGV and no work permits available for bus drivers,” he said. “The Government doesn’t seem to recognise the difficulty these bus companies are in.”

A spokeswoman for the Department of Enterprise said: “In recent weeks we have been made aware of bus driver labour shortages from companies operating in the coach and bus sector in Ireland. The role of bus driver is currently on the ineligible occupations list and, as such, an employment permit cannot currently be granted.” However, she said, the list is kept under review “in light of changing labour market circumstances” and the department was “engaging with the Department of Transport on the eligibility of the role of bus driver for employment permits”.

A spokesman for the Department of Transport confirmed it was in talks with the Department of Enterprise in relation to the potential inclusion of bus drivers on the critical skills list.