Mr. Paul Kelly:

I fully concur with everything Ms Campbell stated. The employer excellence programme that Fáilte Ireland launched last year has had a very positive response from industry and more than 20,000 employees in the industry are now working in companies that have engaged in that programme. That is enhancing the overall attractiveness of the sector and celebrating the really good practices that exist as well as improving them throughout the sector.

We are hoping to expand that further this year.

In addition, we have just recently launched Learnify, which is a new, best-in-class learning management system. Working with the industry, and in parallel with and complementary to initiatives such as the Skillnet programme the IHF runs, we will provide career paths and have modules that people can do online while working, which will help them. If, for example, someone wants to move from being a food and beverage server to a food and beverage division manager, he or she can look at what courses and modules are required and then go online on Learnify and do them. The employee will be able to track it, as will the employer. If the person then decides to go from being a food and beverage manager to being a general manager, he or she can find the modules needed to do that, etc. We are mapping out those career paths and providing prompts to people using the latest and best online learning management system technology. That is a very exciting development. We are only just launching it at the moment but it is going to be transformative in facilitating continuous professional development in the tourism industry.