Mr. Adrian Cummins:

I thank the committee for the opportunity to speak today. The Chair has already introduced my colleague. We are thankful to be able to speak to the committee regarding working conditions and skills shortages in the tourism and hospitality sector.

The hospitality and tourism sector is facing a crisis because of a shortage of skilled staff. This crisis started in 2012. The RAI flagged this problem then with the relevant Government Departments and Fáilte Ireland. We highlighted that we were facing a shortage of chefs, in particular. That dearth of staff has now extended across all parts of the industry. Regarding addressing working conditions, we welcome recent and upcoming legislation seeking to provide more secure employment in the hospitality sector. The Employment Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2018, for example, outlawed zero-hour contracts and ensures employees receive their core terms of employment within five working days. Similarly, the Sick Leave Bill 2022, dealing with statutory sick pay, and legislation to enable pension auto-enrolment will bring Ireland into line with its European counterparts concerning employer social security contributions. Additionally, the Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Bill 2022 will outlaw the use of tips or gratuities to constitute any part of contractual wages. We also welcome the transparency this Bill brings via customer displays and employee notices, which will state the use and distribution of electronic gratuities, tips and service charges.

Upskilling those working in the hospitality sector is vital in maintaining standards. The Government-funded Restaurant and Hospitality Skillnet established in 2017 has so far trained more than 19,000 employees. Its purpose is to provide upskilling to employers and employees in the sector. Promoting positive work practices is at the forefront of its activities, and recent courses have included classes focused on health well-being, stress management, coaching skills and supervisory skills. The RAI regularly engages with the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC. We welcome WRC inspections. If any employer or business is found not to be abiding by employment law or if an employee is mistreated in any way, we wholeheartedly support the WRC’s role as the statutory body to protect employees’ rights and to impose sanctions where necessary.

Fáilte Ireland’s recent research identified a skills shortage of 40,000 people in the tourism and hospitality sector. There is a glaring and immediate need for oversight of training and development in the sector, but Fáilte Ireland currently has no remit for hospitality. In this context, the National Tourism Development Authority Act 2003 requires amending to give Fáilte Ireland a remit for hospitality that covers restaurants and pubs. Last year, this committee recommended that a representative of the restaurant and pub sector be appointed to the board of Fáilte Ireland, but this has not happened.

The sector urgently needs a plan and a funded task force for future development, promotion and training. While education and training boards, ETBs, and institutes of technology are offering many tourism and culinary courses, they are, by their own admission, working in silos. The 2015 report of the expert group on future skills needs, entitled an Assessment of Future Skills Requirements in the Hospitality Sector in Ireland, 2015-2020, found there to be "a need for a more structured approach nationally of responsibility to drive the hospitality sector to meet skills demand to 2020" and "an absence of an overall leadership and co-ordination function for the skills development of the hospitality sector”.

How do we solve the staff shortage problem? As a matter of urgency, we are calling on Government Departments and Fáilte Ireland to engage with the industry to commence an immediate recruitment drive within the EU to save the summer season. We need targeted international recruitment fairs, that are Government-backed, to be held inside and outside the EU to attract suitably-qualified hospitality and tourism candidates.

Turning to work permits, the processing time now stands at 21 weeks. This includes four weeks for the mandatory labour market needs test and, if visas are needed, it can take more than six months for employees to get into the country and to commence work. In contrast, the processing time in the UK is six weeks. Regarding apprenticeships, the RAI has been involved with the development and implementation of three culinary apprenticeships, in association with the Irish Hotels Federation, IHF. We welcome the introduction of grants to bring parity to traditional and new apprenticeships. This is a welcome long-term solution to the skills shortage in the tourism and hospitality sector. We thank the committee members for their time and for allowing us the opportunity to speak on these matters, and we look forward to their questions.