285 work permits were issued to the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector in the first two months of 2026, according to new data.

This marks a significant decrease (-39%) on the 470 permits which were issued to the sector in the same period last year.

The figures, published by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE), show that 162 permits were issued in January, followed by 123 in February.

The majority of the permits issued in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector relate to meat processing, horticulture enterprises, particularly mushroom growers, and dairy farms.

Across all economic sectors, 5,976 work permits were granted by the department in the first two months of the year.

The highest number of permits, 1,584 (27%), was granted in the health and social work activities sector.

Work permits

1,915 employment permits were issued to the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector in 2025.

This represented a significant decrease of 1,710 permits or 47% when compared to the 3,625 permits granted for the sector in 2024.

31,044 permits were issued across all sectors in 2025, down from 39,390 in the previous year.

The highest number of permits, 7,948 (26%), was granted in the health and social work activities sector.

February was the month with the highest number of permits issued to the sector at 251.