Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A lot of those initiatives are welcome but they will be medium to long-term solutions. Part of our concern has to be this summer, particularly for the tourism product. We all know there are few pubs saying they have plenty of staff; everyone is struggling. There are things the industry can do and in our next session we will be talking with the assistant secretary of the Department. Are there measures the Government can take in the short term that will assist? We must bear in mind that nearly every sector is coming in saying it has skill shortages. Are there economic or other measures that will help to address the problems this summer, particularly in tourism? There are cost of living concerns but there are also concerns if somebody has a poor experience and is waiting for ages at the bar or before being served at a table. Is there something specific that the Government can do?