New phased approach will strengthen Ireland’s competitiveness while supporting businesses and workers

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, together with Minister of State for Employment, Small Business and Retail Alan Dillon, today announced the publication of a new Roadmap for Minimum Annual Remuneration (MAR) Salary Thresholds. The roadmap sets out a structured and gradual plan to increase salary thresholds across Ireland’s employment permit system over the coming years, with the first phase of increases scheduled to take effect from 1 March 2026.

The Government stated that the phased approach is designed to balance Ireland’s need to remain internationally competitive in attracting skilled talent while also ensuring fair pay, stronger employment standards, and sustainable workforce planning across key sectors of the economy. By introducing changes gradually rather than through sudden increases, employers will have greater certainty and sufficient time to plan for future labour costs, recruitment needs, and workforce retention strategies.

As part of the first phase of the roadmap, the minimum salary for General Employment Permits will rise from €34,000 to €36,605, while the minimum salary requirement for Critical Skills Employment Permits will increase from €38,000 to €40,904. In sectors currently operating under lower salary thresholds due to labour shortages, including meat processing, horticulture, healthcare assistants, and home care services, the minimum salary threshold will increase from €30,000 to €32,691.

The Government said these increases are intended to ensure that remuneration levels under the employment permit system better reflect wage growth, economic conditions, and the rising cost of living in Ireland. The roadmap is also aimed at strengthening protections for workers employed under permit arrangements by promoting fairer pay standards across all sectors.

In addition to increasing salary thresholds, the roadmap outlines plans to gradually remove very low salary exemptions currently available in certain sectors. These exemptions had been introduced in response to recruitment difficulties and persistent labour shortages; however, the Government now intends to phase them out over time in order to encourage improved pay, better working conditions, and more sustainable employment practices.

The Ministers stated that the roadmap will provide employers with long-term certainty and allow businesses sufficient time to adapt to the changes in a manageable way. This is considered particularly important for sectors that rely heavily on international recruitment to meet operational demands and maintain service delivery.

According to the Government, the roadmap forms part of Ireland’s wider strategy to build a resilient and competitive economy by continuing to attract skilled international talent while also promoting fair employment standards, reducing overreliance on lower-paid labour, and supporting sustainable growth across the labour market.