ALMOST 400 work permits were issued in Donegal to people from outside the European Economic Area last year.
Figures published by the Irish Independent show 387 work permits were issued in Donegal in 2023.
In all, a total of 30, 981 work permits were issued last year, as demand for work permits has intensified.
Nurses, healthcare assistants, chefs, computer programmers and doctors are among the professions sought.
The number of permits has surged in the last decade from 3,863 in 2013 to just under 31,000 last year.
Healthcare workers were in highest demand last year, overtaking staff in the ICT sector, where the highest portion of permits was issued in 2022.
Demand for permits was also high in accommodation and food services and agriculture.
A Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment spokesperson said January was a particularly busy period for work permit applications.
The department received 5,366 permit applications last month, a significant rise from the 2,554 applications made in the same month last year.
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