For employers · Galway
Plant operators for Galway employers
Work shown on video before you see a CV. Trade tested in our vetted test workshop before you hire. The employment permit handled with you, start to finish.
1,367 employment permits issued to County Galway employers so far in 2026, 2,309 nationally in F - Construction. The figures
- Shortlist in days. Start in about two weeks for local hires.
- No retainer, no monthly fee. Nothing to sign until you have met people.
- Replacement cover on every placement. Nothing charged to the candidate.
Or ring +353 1 903 8249, Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm.
Tell us what you need
Martin, Lance or another member of our team will get back to you. Who we areLooking for work? This form is for employers. Register here instead, it is free.
We work directly with employers. We do not take on other recruitment agencies, labour suppliers or sub-agents.
Who we already work with
What the official figures say
Hiring overseas in Galway is normal
County Galway
Employment permits issued, by year
277
2010
206
2011
213
2012
171
2013
199
2014
298
2015
365
2016
430
2017
567
2018
623
2019
590
2020
678
2021
1.4k
2022
1.4k
2023
1.3k
2024
1.1k
2025
1.4k
2026
The sector, nationally
F - Construction
616
2020
607
2021
1,474
2022
1,349
2023
1,523
2024
2,031
2025
2,309
2026
What the numbers say
1,367 permits for County Galway by the end of October 2026, already 124% of the 1,104 issued in the whole of 2025.
At the current pace 2026 would finish around 1,640, up 49% on 2025.
The busiest full year on record was 2022 with 1,440 permits. In 2010 the figure was 277. That is a 5.2-fold rise.
2,309 permits for F - Construction by the end of October 2026, already 114% of the 2,031 issued in the whole of 2025.
At the current pace 2026 would finish around 2,771, up 36% on 2025.
The busiest full year on record was 2025 with 2,031 permits. In 2020 the figure was 616. That is a 3.3-fold rise.
Who is already doing it
The biggest permit users in Ireland this year
Every one of them has hired from outside the EEA this year and got the paperwork through. Your competitors are on this list or the fastest growing one.
Two pools, one call
People already in Ireland, and people we bring in
Already here
No permit. Interviews in days, not months.
Drivers, mechanics, welders and fitters who are in Ireland now with the right to work, and register with us because they want a change: indoors, days, nearer home, a better yard. Start date is their notice period, not a Department timeline. The quickest thing we do.
Overseas, trade tested
Work shown on video before you see a CV. Trade tested before you hire. Permit handled with you.
Where the local pool is dry for your trade, or you want a bench for the year, we test people on real kit before anyone travels and handle the permit paperwork with you. Longer, and the timeline is the Department's, but it is how the biggest yards in the country fill their rosters.
Most clients use both: the local pool for the gap now, the overseas bench for the growth. Nothing is charged to any candidate, in either pool.
How we fill it
Trade tested, paperwork handled, fixed fee
- 1
The test
Machine handling assessed on site and tickets checked. In Johannesburg, Manila or a partner centre, before anyone travels. You get the score sheet. How the test is run
- 2
The paperwork
The employment permit application prepared with you, the visa handled with the candidate, and the Department's current timeline told to you plainly before you commit.
- 3
The landing
Flights, accommodation, PPSN, bank account and phone sorted, and someone checking in with them after they start, so they stay.
- 4
The fee
A fixed fee per placement, invoiced when they start. No retainer, no startup fee, and nothing is ever charged to the candidate.
For employers in Galway
Tell us how many plant operators you need and when
You get candidates we already have trade tested, the permit timeline as it stands, and a fixed fee. No retainer, nothing charged to the candidate, and nothing to sign until you have seen people.
Martin, Lance or another member of our team will get back to you. Who we areLooking for work? This form is for employers. Register here instead, it is free.
We work directly with employers. We do not take on other recruitment agencies, labour suppliers or sub-agents.
Other trades in Galway
For candidates
What you need to work here
- A job offer and a contract of employment signed by you and the employer before anything is submitted. Applications must reach the Department at least 12 weeks before the start date.
- The right permit for the job. Most trades and driving roles go through a General Employment Permit, which is issued for 2 years and can be renewed. Roles on the Critical Skills list use a Critical Skills Employment Permit.
- Pay at or above the minimum for the permit. For a General Employment Permit the Department currently lists it as generally EUR 36,605 a year, with lower figures for meat processing, horticulture, healthcare assistants and home support. Check the official figure for your role before you rely on it.
Register with Sama
Tell us your trade and we will tell you what we have
Five fields, under a minute. We read every one. You never pay us anything, at any stage.
After they land
What we give the person you hire
Free, and not conditional on anything. A placement that fails usually fails in the first month, and it is rarely about the work.
Settling in GalwayThe paperwork in order, the official finders for a doctor and a PPS number, and the local shops, places of worship and clubs other workers there have added. Their rights at work, in writingWe tell every candidate exactly what they are owed and who enforces it. An employer with nothing to hide gains from that. Free practice testsEnglish and the rules of the road, so a driver arrives knowing which side and which limits, not learning them on your insurance.
Worth following
Who we placed, and where the market is going
Monthly figures on who is hiring overseas, what the Department published, and the trades that are getting hard to fill. No sales posts.
Source: Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Employment Permit Statistics. Contains Irish Public Sector Data licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. A permit issued to a company is a record of a past application. It is not a vacancy and not a promise of sponsorship.
Is this your organisation? To request a change or removal, email us.