HOTELIERS WELCOME CHANGES TO EMPLOYMENT PERMIT REGULATIONS

Changes will help to ease chef shortage

The Irish Hotels Federation welcomes the changes announced today by the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD to the Employment Permit Regulations, which will help ease the serious shortage of chefs that is currently hampering the hospitality industry.

“Ireland’s tourism and hospitality industry relies heavily on the consistent delivery of a quality product. We need a highly skilled workforce to achieve this and the additional flexibility to recruit suitably qualified chefs from outside the EU will help to ensure that we can meet this high standard”, said Michael Lennon, President of the Irish Hotels Federation.  

Over 60,000 people are employed in Irish hotels. Tourism is the country’s largest indigenous employer, supporting approximately 230,000 jobs - equivalent to 11% of total employment. 

Earlier this year, a new industry-led National Commis Chef Apprenticeship Programme was launched to provide young aspiring chefs across Ireland with a two–year formal education and training programme to begin their careers as professional chefs. The programme is supported by the IHF and other industry bodies.

More than 60,000 new tourism jobs have been created since 2011 and Mr Lennon said that the industry is on target to create a further 40,000 tourism jobs by 2021.  Most hoteliers planning to increase staff numbers during 2018, according to a recent industry survey, across all areas of their business. 

-ENDS-

FOR INFORMATION:

Ger McCarthy, Weber Shandwick                                             

Tel:  01 6798600 / 086 233 3590