Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 7 July 2022

Committee on Public Petitions

Consideration of Public Petition on Adding Chefs to the Critical Skills List Now to Save Irish Hospitality: Discussion

Mr. Paddy Lynn:

I would say so. They have been very engaging. With regard to the changes and allowances we are asking to be made to applications, the legislation is quite tight on what is and is not allowed. It is more that their hands are tied. On the second part, I believe that hospitality is a Cinderella industry. It is an afterthought much of the time. The fact that the expert group on future skills needs, EGFSN, does not have a focus on hospitality shows this quite clearly. It is not necessarily an issue at ministerial level, it has more to do with the Government's overall view of the sector.