IE ·
Ireland's Employment Permits Portal offline after security incident: what employers need to know
The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment took the Employment Permits Portal offline after detecting unauthorised activity (first notice 29 October 2026). New applications cannot be submitted, including by email, while applications already submitted continue to be processed. No reopening date has been confirmed.
What happened
On 29 October 2026 the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment said it had identified suspicious unauthorised activity on the Employment Permits Portal and took the portal offline as a precaution. A planned reopening on 3 November did not happen. In an update of 5 November 2026, the Department said that, for the general customer population, the data downloaded was limited to the first names and surnames of registered users and applicants, and that email addresses and user account roles were not downloaded. A very small number of accounts are still under separate investigation, and affected people are being contacted directly.
What still works and what does not
Applications submitted before the outage continue to be assessed and decisions are issuing. Submitting new applications, viewing existing applications online and other portal requests are not available. The Department says new applications cannot currently be submitted by email; it is preparing temporary arrangements and will publish details on its Employment Permits Portal service page. No reopening date has been confirmed.
Drafts, renewals and labour market needs tests
According to the Department's FAQ, draft applications and applications awaiting fee payment are expected to remain available, and applicants should not create new applications just because the portal is down or the 28-day draft period has passed. Flexibility will be applied to renewals and to Labour Market Needs Test (LMNT) timelines affected by the outage. Employers should keep copies of all advertising and supporting records, including publication dates and advertising periods. The outage does not by itself extend any employment permit or immigration permission, and permit conditions must still be followed.
Phishing risk and seasonal permits
The Department advises all portal users to be alert to suspicious emails, texts or calls about permits, applications or payments; it will never ask for passwords or personal data by email or text message. Separately, on 4 November 2026 the Department said that employers wishing to use Seasonal Employment Permits for the 2027 picking season need Approved Seasonal Employer (ASE) status: completed ASE applications should be emailed to empu@enterprise.gov.ie by 12 December 2026, and SEP applications will be invited from 1 January 2027.
What is still unclear
The reopening date, the form of the temporary submission arrangements, and how refunds, reviews and appeals will be handled are not yet confirmed. Earlier information, including the Department's own 29 October notice and media reports such as RTÉ on 3 November 2026, described email addresses as possibly exposed; the Department's 5 November update says they were not downloaded for the general customer population. Check the Department's pages for the latest position before acting.
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