Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We received an e-mail from the Restaurants Association of Ireland yesterday regarding a matter that, I understand, Senator Gallagher raised yesterday, namely, the struggle it is having in finding chefs in the country. It referred to a shortage of 5,000 chefs. The name of the organisation rang a bell with me and I wondered what it was. It is the same organisation that called for a freezing of the minimum wage until 2020 and refuses to engage in setting up a joint labour committee even though legislation has been passed. It is now saying it cannot find staff. Is it any wonder that is the case, when it is doing everything it can to keep down wages and keep people on poverty rates of pay? Rather than focus on the shortage of chefs, I ask the Leader to bring the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to the House to discuss the scandal of organisations such as this receiving large subsidies of €650 million a year while at the same time refusing to engage with the legitimate organs of the State regarding the establishment of a joint labour committee to ensure we have proper decency and terms and conditions in the industry.