Haulage Archives - Ireland's Forecourt & Convenience Retailer

Work permit backlog for industries now on track to be cleared

Linda Stewart — Wed, 11 May 2022 09:08:49 +0000

The Department of Enterprise says it is on track to clear a backlog of thousands of unprocessed work permit applications after implementing an emergency staffing plan which trebled the headcount of some departments.

New data from the department shows that throughput of employment permits for non-European Economic Area (EEA) nationals in the year-to-date is now running about three times as fast as last year .

At the end of April, more than 12,000 permits had already been issued, compared to 16,275 in all of 2021, when the department ended the year with more than 10,000 unprocessed applications.

That backlog looks set to be cleared in 2022 as processing time has been cut from an average of 21 weeks to six weeks since the start of the year. A spokesperson said the current processing time would be maintained or improved.

“All flexible resources have now been redeployed to bring down processing times for general employment permit applications and the department expects to see waiting times fall further,” the spokesperson said.

The department was taking longer to process applications due to a combination of remote working, an increase in demand and the HSE cyber attack last summer, which disrupted the system for hiring medical staff from abroad.

Applications for work permits also increased by 69pc to 27,666 in 2021 over the previous year as hospitals and tech multinationals went on a hiring spree to cope with the spike in demand from Covid.

The permits are granted only for roles that cannot be filled from the available labour pool in Ireland and the rest of the EEA.

Permits for IT and health workers still dominate this year, with nearly 3,500 going to tech workers and another 2,700 issued to medical staff.

But permits for agricultural workers are on the rise this year, with nearly 2,000 issued for that sector – one of the largest. Horticultural and meat workers were added to the occupational list for non-EEA work permits last October, leading to an additional 3,000 applications, which has added to the existing backlog.

Some industries, such as haulage and hospitality, have complained that slow processing times were making labour shortages worse.

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Commercial diesel stock fell to one day’s supply due to Ukraine crisis: Fuels for Ireland

Linda Stewart — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 09:58:21 +0000

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there was a point where there was only one day of commercial stock of diesel at Dublin Port, an Oireachtas committee has heard.

Chief Executive of Fuels for Ireland Kevin McPartlan outlined to the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications how fuel supplies at the port fell dramatically, leaving just one day’s supply of diesel in terminals at the port.This compares with a maximum commercial stock of 19 days’ supply in the six months to January.

Mr McPartlan said that even before the conflict in Ukraine began on 24 February, fuel stocks were “less than we would have liked” due to unusual weather events.

He told the committee that Government cuts to excise duty were never going to entirely eradicate or reverse price rises.

Mr McPartlan said that in the 13 days between the start of the conflict and the Government announcing an excise duty reduction, wholesale market prices had increased by 26c per litre on petrol and 45c per litre on diesel.

He says this means that the cuts would only blunt price increases and “were never going to entirely eradicate or reverse them”.

The Irish Road Haulage Association also addressed the committee to say its sector is in a “serious existential crisis”.

It is calling on the Government to tackle the issue of high fuel prices for sectors that have a dependence on diesel fuel.

The IRHA says Brexit, driver shortages, and Covid-19 constraints have built up a “perfect storm” for hauliers.

IRHA President Eugene Drennan says the “ever-increasing costs of running a licensed haulage business are forcing people out of the sector”.

He called for “sufficient fuel rebates” for licensed hauliers, who he says are “essential users of diesel”.

Mr Drennan said there is nothing at EU level stopping the Government from introducing a new diesel rebate scheme.

The industry is also calling for additional fuel-saving measures to be introduced, such as altering traffic light sequences in urban areas, creating a toll-free channel for HGVs at toll booths, and changing the operating hours for depots at ports.

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Food prices could rise due to shortage of lorry drivers

Julie Nash — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 16:18:21 +0000

Food prices are predicted to rise as haulage firms increase the pay of its lorry drivers due to a severe shortage of staff, experts have warned. A shortfall of 70,000 HGV drivers in the UK has already seen wages shoot up by 20 per cent and consumers are now being warned that grocery prices could rocket to pay for the drivers’ increased pay.

Food wholesalers claim they are already being hit by cost hikes, with one claiming they had been forced to increase driver wages from £35k to £40k per year. ‘The cost of food will rise, it’s inevitable. The cost of moving goods between networks is surging. Inevitably this is going to drive food price inflation. We must drive further efficiencies. It’s a knife edge’ said one wholesaler.

Richard Burnett, head of the Road Hauliers Association, said ‘Undoubtedly this will hit the consumer. The larger retailers may decide to hold prices but they must accept that costs to goods will have gone up.’

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