'The hours were extremely difficult – 50 to 60 a hours week at least,' says Sam, who arrived into Ireland on a general employment permit. Sam (a pseudonym used for this article to protect his identity) arrived into Ireland in November 2020 on a general employment (GE) permit. “Then the hours were extremely difficult – 50 to 60 a hours week at least. A total of 1,019 responses were received and assessed as a representative sample of the estimated 38,000 GE permit holders. It is more than half of migrant workers like me.

Source: The Irish Times March 23, 2026 06:30 UTC