John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Martin Conway for his very important question and his very kind words. The hospitality sector is very important to the Irish economy. It is estimated to be worth approximately €3 billion a year to the Irish economy and to employ approximately 148,000 people. There are approximately 7,000 establishments in Ireland which serve food and require chefs and cooks. In 2015, the expert group on future skills needs conducted a study on the future needs of the hospitality sector, including skill needs for chefs and cooks. Its report, published in 2015, provided a set of recommendations designed to address the needs of the sector right up to 2020. They included recommendations on boosting skill supply but also on creating sustainable and rewarding career opportunities in the sector in order to reduce the level of staff turnover. As the Senator will know, there is a big problem with staff turnover in the hospitality industry. A key recommendation was the establishment of a national oversight and advisory group comprising key hospitality stakeholders, Departments and Government agencies and education and training providers to provide a forum for ongoing collaboration, to support the needs of the sector and to oversee the implementation of the expert group's recommendations.That group was established in 2016 and chaired by SOLAS for the first year, and is currently chaired by the Irish Hotels Federation, which I think was a good move. Senator Conway might know Michael Vaughan.