Employment Permits in Food, Drink & Tobacco Manufacturing
2,028 employment permits have been issued in the Food, Drink & Tobacco Manufacturingsector since 2019, based on Ireland’s official Employment Permits register from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE).
2,028
Permits issued (2019–2026)
339
Issued in 2026 (-32% YoY)
2.2%
Share of national total, 2026
What this data shows
These figures count employment permits granted to non-EEA workers taking roles classified under Food, Drink & Tobacco Manufacturing. The government’s own sector labels changed partway through this period (moving to standard NACE industry codes), so this page merges every historical label that maps to Food, Drink & Tobacco Manufacturing into one continuous series. The raw register alone would show it as several differently-named, overlapping categories.
Year by year
| Year | Permits issued |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 104 |
| 2021 | 111 |
| 2022 | 357 |
| 2023 | 268 |
| 2024 | 353 |
| 2025 | 496 |
| 2026 | 339 |
Finding a visa-sponsored job in Food, Drink & Tobacco Manufacturing
Permit volume shows which sectors sponsor non-EEA workers at scale, not which specific employers are hiring today. Search live listings below, or check the occupation lists to see whether your specific role sits on the Critical Skills or Ineligible list, which matters more for eligibility than the sector itself.