New Rules Facilitate The Entry Of Foreign Researchers To Ireland

Minister Martin explained that "Ireland's ability to attract high quality researchers is a key element of our Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation.

"As well as producing our own researchers we need to recruit researchers from abroad in order to help achieve our objective of being internationally renowned for our research and at the forefront in generating and using new knowledge for economic and social progress."

These new arrangements implement a European Union Directive on the admission of third country researchers for the purpose of carrying out research.

Under the new arrangements, approved research organisations can recruit researchers from outside the European Economic Area (i.e. the EU Member States as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) to carry out research in Ireland without the need for a Green Card or Work Permit.

Procedures have been put in place for accreditation of research organisations to enable them to make use of the new arrangements.

Accredited research organisations can now enter into a hosting agreement with a third country researcher to carry out defined research.

Once a hosting agreement is in place, the researcher will be admitted into the State for the purpose of carrying out the research, subject to normal immigration requirements.

The new arrangements have been drawn up in consultation with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

"These new arrangements should make it easier for third level institutions, research institutes as well as enterprises engaged in research programmes to recruit researchers from overseas to carry out their research programmes," the Minister concluded.