Red tape leaving Irish tradesmen Down Under without any work

Irish tradesmen who are moving to Australia are being left

without work for up to six months after they arrive in the country, it has emerged.

Hundreds of workers are being left in limbo as they wait for trade licences to be granted once they arrive in Australia.

However, many are unaware of the delays they will face until they make the move.

"Skilled Irish workers coming out here on skilled working Visas are not allowed to work until they have been assessed by the trades governing body, the TRA," says Daniel O Halloran, owner of a new Irish-owned agency, www.paddydownunder.com.

They must "get licenced in the state in which they intend to work," he added.

"This whole process takes between two to six months, with some Irish tradesmen actually having to sit exams depending on experience."

Delays

Delays in administration mean that workers are jobless for a few months when they land Down Under.

"There can be a backlog in the TRA from two to six months," O'Halloran says.

They "are not being informed of this whole process, most having to gather all their certs and references from Ireland once they have arrived in Oz."

Mr O Halloran went on to claim that many agencies working with Irish tradespeople planning to emigrate were unaware of the stipulations.

"Agencies have no idea that there's a licensing thing going on. I got onto three or four agencies to ask them why it was happening and none of them had a clue that it was.

"There's a massive gap in the system which not only leaves them out of work but also creates a paperwork nightmare."

- Geraldine Gittens