The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) has published its July 2026 employment permit statistics. The company file records 3,830 employment permits issued in July, the highest monthly total in the 2026 file so far [2].
That is 359 more permits than June in the latest file, a 10.3% month-on-month increase. The same official file now records June at 3,471 permits, so this report uses the latest DETE revision rather than repeating the figure from the prior monthly report [2].
Data note: Employment permits are not job vacancies, job offers, or a guarantee that an employer is hiring today or will support every similar application. Use issued-permit activity as a research signal. The company file uses legal entity names, which can differ from consumer-facing brands.
Official source baseline
This report uses the July 2026 files published on DETE's official statistics page on 4 August 2026 [1]. All four 2026 files reconcile to 22,914 permits issued year-to-date: the company, sector, county, and nationality files each show the same issued total [2][3][4][5].
| File | What it supports |
|---|---|
| Employment permits issued to companies 2026 [2] | Monthly employer and overall issued-permit activity |
| Employment permits by sector 2026 [3] | DETE's official NACE-sector monthly and YTD totals |
| Employment permits by county 2026 [4] | County issued and refused totals, year-to-date |
| Employment permits by nationality 2026 [5] | Nationality issued and refused totals, year-to-date |
The company and sector files contain monthly columns through July. The county and nationality files are YTD tables, so they are labelled that way below.
Revision note: DETE's July company file revises June to 3,471 permits, compared with 3,475 in the June report on IrishTalents. It also revises May to 3,293, compared with 3,282 in that report. DETE can revise earlier monthly values in later files; this article uses the current official file throughout.
Executive summary
- DETE recorded 3,830 permits issued in July 2026, up from 3,471 in June [2].
- July was the highest monthly total in the 2026 company and sector files so far [2][3].
- January-July 2026 issued-permit activity reached 22,914 permits YTD, compared with 17,335 in the same period of 2025: +5,579 / +32.2% [2][6]. All four current 2026 files reconcile to the 22,914 total [2][3][4][5].
- The July-only comparison is a secondary signal: 3,830 in July 2026 was 1,650 above July 2025's 2,180 [2][6]. July 2025 sat in an April-July trough, when the monthly totals were 1,668, 1,820, 1,684, and 2,180 respectively, so its 75.7% increase is not the main trend measure [6].
- University Limerick Hospitals Group led the July employer table with 41 permits, followed by Google Ireland Limited (40), Costern Unlimited Company (39), Galway University Hospital (39), and Cork University Hospital (38) [2].
- Q - Health & Social Work Activities remained the largest official DETE sector, with 1,193 permits in July and 6,351 YTD [3].
- For candidates, the July data expands the research picture beyond a single sector: healthcare, information and communication, accommodation and food services, construction, finance, manufacturing, and transport all appear in the leading official sector rows [3].
Key numbers for July 2026
| Metric | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employment permits issued in July 2026 | 3,830 | DETE company and sector files [2][3] |
| June 2026 permits, latest revised figure | 3,471 | Same 2026 company file [2] |
| May 2026 permits, latest revised figure | 3,293 | Same 2026 company file [2] |
| Month-on-month change | +359 / +10.3% | July vs June 2026 [2] |
| January-July 2026 issued permits YTD | 22,914 | All four official files reconcile [2][3][4][5] |
| January-July 2025 issued permits YTD | 17,335 | Same-month YTD total from DETE 2025 company file [6] |
| Year-on-year change, like-for-like YTD | +5,579 / +32.2% | January-July 2026 vs January-July 2025 [2][6] |
| July 2025 comparison, secondary | +1,650 / +75.7% | July 2026 vs a month in the April-July 2025 trough [2][6] |
| July share of 2026 YTD total | 16.7% | July as a share of January-July [2] |
| Top employer in July | University Limerick Hospitals Group | 41 July permits [2] |
| Top July sector, DETE classification | Q - Health & Social Work Activities | 1,193 July permits [3] |
| Top county YTD | Dublin | 10,056 issued YTD [4] |
| Top nationality YTD | India | 6,756 issued YTD [5] |
Top employers by July permit activity [2]
These are the employers with the highest July 2026 counts in the official DETE company file. They are legal entity names as recorded by DETE, not a list of current vacancies.
| Rank | Employer | July | June | Jan–Jul total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University Limerick Hospitals Group | 41 | 24 | 122 |
| 2 | Google Ireland Limited | 40 | 33 | 198 |
| 3 | Costern Unlimited Company | 39 | 16 | 182 |
| 4 | Galway University Hospital | 39 | 16 | 92 |
| 5 | Cork University Hospital | 38 | 30 | 154 |
| 6 | University Hospital Kerry | 34 | 14 | 95 |
| 7 | Resilience Healthcare Limited | 30 | 13 | 148 |
| 8 | Applied Materials Ireland Limited | 27 | 9 | 72 |
| 9 | Redwood Extended Care Facility Unlimited Company | 27 | 33 | 203 |
| 10 | Tata Consultancy Services Limited | 24 | 7 | 107 |
Several employers in the July top ten also rose from June: Costern and Galway University Hospital each increased by 23 permits; University Hospital Kerry increased by 20; Applied Materials increased by 18; and University Limerick Hospitals Group, Resilience Healthcare, and Tata Consultancy Services each increased by 17 [2]. These changes can reflect batch processing, renewals, reporting timing, or specific contracts. The signal is not “apply here”; it is “research whether this employer and your role could align.”
Top sectors in July 2026 [3]
This is DETE's own NACE-sector classification. It is distinct from IrishTalents' company enrichment, which may classify a legal entity differently and does not represent the official sector totals.
| Rank | Sector, DETE classification | July | June | Jan–Jul total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Q - Health & Social Work Activities | 1,193 | 931 | 6,351 |
| 2 | J - Information & Communication Activities | 369 | 310 | 2,300 |
| 3 | I - Accommodation & Food Services Activities | 338 | 350 | 2,340 |
| 4 | F - Construction | 314 | 247 | 1,564 |
| 5 | S - Other Service Activities | 230 | 232 | 1,675 |
| 6 | A - Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing | 197 | 228 | 1,545 |
| 7 | K - Financial & Insurance Activities | 185 | 133 | 888 |
| 8 | C - All Other Manufacturing | 175 | 160 | 1,081 |
| 9 | H - Transport & Storage | 162 | 119 | 1,026 |
| 10 | M - All other Professional, Scientific & Technical Activities | 120 | 105 | 640 |
July was a sector recomposition, not a broad rise across every leading sector [3]. Health and social work added 262 permits from June to July, the largest increase; construction rose by 67, information and communication by 59, financial and insurance activities by 52, and transport and storage by 43 [3]. Those five increases total 483 permits, while the overall net movement was +359 because several sectors fell: C - Manufacture of Food, Drink & Tobacco declined by 157 permits, A - Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing by 31, I - Accommodation & Food Services by 12, and S - Other Service Activities by 2 [3]. A sector total is not a role-level permit decision: duties, salary, contract, employer context, and the current DETE rules still matter.
Top counties year-to-date in 2026 [4]
DETE's county table is YTD through July, rather than a July-only view.
| Rank | County | Issued YTD | Refused YTD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dublin | 10,056 | 1,065 |
| 2 | Cork | 2,341 | 300 |
| 3 | Meath | 1,030 | 88 |
| 4 | Limerick | 1,027 | 144 |
| 5 | Kildare | 1,015 | 142 |
| 6 | Galway | 906 | 149 |
| 7 | Waterford | 690 | 43 |
| 8 | Kerry | 597 | 32 |
| 9 | Wexford | 513 | 65 |
| 10 | Tipperary | 504 | 52 |
Dublin represents about 43.9% of issued permits in the county file [4]. That still leaves more than half of recorded YTD permit activity outside Dublin. For candidates whose work is not location-bound, Cork, Meath, Limerick, Kildare, Galway, Waterford, Kerry, Wexford, and Tipperary are all material research areas in the official data.
Top nationalities year-to-date in 2026 [5]
DETE's nationality table is YTD through July. It shows issued and refused outcomes by nationality, not individual eligibility, employer preference, or approval odds.
| Rank | Nationality | Issued YTD | Refused YTD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 6,756 | 601 |
| 2 | Philippines | 3,396 | 374 |
| 3 | Brazil | 2,860 | 450 |
| 4 | China | 1,312 | 186 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 1,145 | 111 |
| 6 | South Africa | 874 | 120 |
| 7 | United States of America | 707 | 31 |
| 8 | Zimbabwe | 656 | 110 |
| 9 | Sri Lanka | 550 | 50 |
| 10 | Nigeria | 501 | 69 |
Candidate-facing insights
1. July adds a stronger monthly signal, not a live-jobs list
The July total of 3,830 is the largest monthly figure in the current 2026 file [2]. It is useful because it confirms that permit issuance remained elevated into July. It does not identify open roles or guarantee future support from the employers in the table.
2. Healthcare is the clearest official sector signal, but readiness remains role-specific
Health and social work accounts for 1,193 July permits and 6,351 YTD in DETE's official sector file [3]. That makes it the largest sector signal in this report. Professional registration, recognition, English-language requirements, role duties, and the employment-permit route can still be separate constraints depending on the profession.
3. Build an employer shortlist across more than one sector
The July sector table includes information and communication, accommodation and food services, construction, finance, manufacturing, transport, and professional services alongside healthcare [3]. Use your actual experience to choose two or three relevant sectors, then investigate employers repeatedly visible in the data rather than applying broadly to every result.
4. Employer movement needs a second check
A month-on-month increase can be caused by timing, renewals, or a specific contract. Before treating a July employer as a target, check the role family, location, longer-term permit history, and whether the employer has activity that is relevant to your background. Historical permit activity is a starting point for research, not a sponsorship guarantee.
5. A wider location search can improve the research pool
County data remains concentrated in Dublin, but the YTD totals also show substantial activity across Cork, Meath, Limerick, Kildare, Galway, Waterford, Kerry, Wexford, and Tipperary [4]. For an occupation with regional demand, add employers in those counties to the shortlist before deciding that Dublin is the only relevant market. County figures are not a proxy for vacancies.
Limitations and caveats
- DETE files show permits issued, not open jobs, applications submitted, hiring plans, or guarantees about future employer support.
- Employer names in the company file are legal entities and can differ from public brand names.
- County and nationality tables are YTD through July, not July-only rankings.
- DETE's NACE-sector classification is separate from IrishTalents' enriched company classification. This article uses official DETE tables for all official totals.
- The files do not provide a detailed occupation or job-title table.
- Refused counts are included in the official county and nationality files but are not used here to calculate refusal rates or approval odds.
- Employment permit figures do not determine your individual permit fit. Official requirements may change and specific circumstances vary.
- DETE may revise prior-month figures in a later publication. This report uses the file published for July 2026.
Sources
[1] Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Employment permit statistics 2026, publication page updated 4 August 2026.
[2] Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Employment permits issued to companies 2026, July file downloaded 5 August 2026.
[3] Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Employment permits by sector 2026, July file downloaded 5 August 2026.
[4] Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Employment permits by county 2026, July file downloaded 5 August 2026.
[5] Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Employment permits by nationality 2026, July file downloaded 5 August 2026.
[6] Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Permits issued to companies 2025, used for the July 2025 comparison.
What to do next
Use the July figures as a research signal, then take a more specific next step:
- Start with the sectors and employer types that match your actual experience.
- Use the companies directory to research visible employer history, location, and sector context.
- Use the permit fit check as a planning aid, then compare your role, salary, duties, and employer context against current official DETE guidance.
- Verify the role and employer directly before investing heavily in an application or relocation decision.