Ireland Explores Agreement with Georgia to Address Truck Driver Shortage

The Irish government is contemplating a potential agreement with Georgia, which could result in the arrival of several hundred truck drivers to address the current workforce shortage, as reported by The Irish Sun.

Presently, the haulage industry in Ireland faces a shortfall of over 4,000 truck drivers, forcing companies to search overseas for recruitment. However, these businesses are restricted to countries where non-EU work permits for Ireland are accessible and where HGV driving licenses are acknowledged by the Irish government, such as South Africa.

According to sources, the Department of Enterprise is engaging in discussions with Georgian officials to include Georgian drivers on Ireland's 'green list.' Subsequently, Georgian drivers would be eligible to apply for non-EU working visas to come and work as truck drivers in Ireland.

One source stated, "The Georgian government is highly interested in this proposal, as it would allow their drivers to come to Ireland and earn a living while sending money back home. The Georgians believe they can provide approximately 5,000 drivers, but the government will likely begin by offering 500 visas initially to assess the situation."

In a previous report, it was disclosed that trucking companies were obliged to pay South African drivers to remain idle for months upon their arrival in Ireland due to delays in processing their licenses. The National Driver Licence Service stated that the average processing time for license applications is 18 working days. Nonetheless, trucking firms assert that, in practice, this process can take up to three months.

Return