Suspected data breach of employment permit online system

Updated / Thursday, 29 Oct 2026 16:54

A suspected data breach is being investigated involving the Employment Permit Online System operated by the Department of Enterprise.

The site is currently unavailable.

The Data Protection Commission (DPC) said it has been notified about the matter.

"The DPC has received a breach notification which is currently being assessed," a spokesperson said.

The Department of Enterprise has been contacted for comment.

Asked about the suspected breach, the National Cyber Security Centre said it does not comment on operational matters.

A notice on the Employment Permit Online System website states that the service is temporarily unavailable and is expected to return on Tuesday 3 November.

"Please note that applications previously submitted continue to be processed and decisions will be issued as normal," according to the notice.

"The Department wishes to advise that future applicants will not be disadvantaged as a result of this temporary outage.

"Applications saved in draft, applications awaiting fee payment and other information held on the system will remain available when the portal returns to service, including applications that may exceed the normal 28-day submission period during the outage," the notice states.

It added that "appropriate flexibility" will apply in cases impacted by the outage.

"The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment sincerely apologises for this unscheduled downtime and any inconvenience caused to users," it states.