Vol. 463 No. 8
11 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if his attention has been drawn to criticisms of the poor career opportunities in the hotel and restaurant industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7490/96]
40 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if he is concerned at the lack of skilled craft persons in the catering industry; and the effects on the tourism industry. [5753/96]
152 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the plans, if any, he has to address staffing problems in tourism; and the reason he termed it the Achilles heel of tourism. [7428/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 11, 40 and 152 together. CERT, the State training agency for the hotel, catering and tourist industry, monitors the sector's training needs on an ongoing basis and provides an extensive range of courses to meet the skill needs of both the industry and its employees.
Its goal is to train 25,000 young people on formal craft courses over the duration of the tourism operational programme. In response to employer demand an additional hotel school was opened in 1995 which provided an additional 100 training places for craft workers. CERT also plans to provide training for over 36,000 persons already employed in the sector, to improve their skills levels and provide them with a wide range of opportunities to advance their careers within the industry.
However, over the past few years, the industry has experienced some problems in recruiting the numbers it needs to keep pace with expanding business, despite a steady increase in the numbers being trained each year. The main issues seem to be difficulties in retaining trained staff in the industry and negative perceptions among school leavers of a career in tourism.
The tourism industry must take an increasing share of responsibility for the development of attractive careers for its employees to ensure that they are at least comparable with those available in competing industries. Young people attach significant importance to career progression in deciding on a career and the tourism sector must develop and promote a visible career path. CERT, for its part, will continue to assist in the provision of a highly skilled workforce but quality training must be supported by quality employment.
On a number of occasions I have emphasised to industry the importance of addressing the negative factors of conditions of employment in the sector, such as the lack of career progression for employees, low pay and long hours of work. At its recent conference the Irish Hotels Federation undertook to address these negative factors which are affecting recruitment and retention of staff. Moreover, the Irish Hotel and Catering Institute at its annual general meeting yesterday also highlighted this area as one that needs to be addressed by the industry.
The Minister is aware that under the tourism operational programme it is intended to invest £110 million in training 72,000 personnel for the hotel and catering industry. The lack of career opportunities for trained personnel and young people's reluctance to take up a full time career in the industry because of pay and conditions has resulted in severe criticism being levelled at the industry. Surely the Minister will recognise that investing such a large sum in training personnel will result in them being frustrated if they do not have a career opportunity with sufficient remunerative rewards at the end of their training. What action does the Minister propose to take? The Minister will be aware of criticisms at recent conferences and on the "Marketplace" programme which highlighted this problem.
This has been recognised not only in the House but by the industry. The Government will spend that money on training. If we are to give quality training there must be quality employment at the end of the training otherwise young people will not become involved in the industry. I have concentrated on this issue with the industry in the last 15 months so that the industry itself can respond in a broad sense. It is the fastest growing industry in the world and the third largest employer in Ireland. It is critical for the industry and for the economy that it be seen as an area where a high level of skill is employed with good conditions and remuneration, pension schemes and so on. I am working with CERT, the various sectors in the industry and the Tourism Council to achieve this.
Does the Minister agree it is a pity that a co-ordinated approach was not taken to the industry over the years? Many young people spent five years training and are frustrated at the lack of a career path in the industry. At the end of the day they do not have a decent job.
The Deputy is correct. Tourism was always seen as the Cinderella industry but it is now recognised as a major economic player. As Minister for Tourism and Trade I am privileged to be responsible for it. I will work with the industry in putting a structure in place which will ensure people's perception of the industry will change and young people will find the industry an attractive and worthwhile area in which to work. This will not happen overnight.
The Minister has been looking at the problem for 15 months. It is time to make decisions on the matter having regard to the fact that it has been raised by the Irish Hotels Federation and the Irish Hotel and Catering Institute. They are examining the shortcomings in terms of career opportunities and the type of careers that are available in the hotel industry, which do not measure up to the expectations of young people. Will the Minister agree that if action is taken now rather than waiting for a further 15 months or setting up more useless committees he should be able to identify the solution and give hope to those young people now? Will the Minister indicate when his exhaustive 15 months examination will come to a conclusion?
Deputy Andrews, when Minister for Foreign Affairs, often told me that he was in a perpetual state of exhaustion.
Physical exhaustion from travelling.
I am by no means exhausted from considering this problem, and in addition I am considering many other matters. Only recently I published the findings of research conducted by CERT which clearly indicates dissatisfaction among some employees in the tourism industry. I am not in the business of setting up further quango committees to consider problems, I am working with the industry to put in place measures to ensure that young people will want to join this industry and will find it satisfying, offering a career with good pay and conditions and long-term prospects.
Will the Minister accept as legitimate criticism that the Government's policy for the tourism industry lays greater emphasis on quantity than quality? Unless greater emphasis is placed on quality and high spending tourists the level of remuneration will not be sufficient to make the industry attractive for a full time career in tourism. By favouring low cost, high number, the industry is not able to employ at a proper salary level those who receive training. Many of the establishments in the catering and accommodation area are at the cheaper end of the market where untrained people provide facilities and services to tourists.
The Deputy has broadened the question into another area. I am very supportive of bringing in high yield, high spending visitors to our country. I have no intention of allowing Ireland to become a mass tourism destination.
That is what is happening.
By the end of this century we can expect an average of five million visitors to our island from abroad. I am as keen as the Deputy to ensure that higher spending visitors come here. If the tourism industry is to be attractive to young people this question must be addressed by the industry, with the Government. We are doing a great deal of work in terms of marketing Ireland and providing facilities under the European Regional Development Fund and I would like to see that followed through by the industry. It must understand that its attractiveness to young people has been limited in the past, as has its promotion by Government, but that is changing rapidly and we are working towards the desired objective.
We should get across the idea that we are not operating a scrooge industry. The hotel industry is an excellent one which provides a service second to none, and that applies across the board. Our bed and breakfast operation, which gives marvellous value, is probably one of the best in Europe, if not in the world. Is it the Minister's intention to draw all the strands together, the Hotel Federation, the catering industry, his Department and Bord Fáilte with all its expertise, to come up with a solution to this problem? The Minister is aware there is a problem, as does the industry, and a solution must be found as a matter of immediacy. There is a huge opportunity for young people to be employed in this decent, honourable industry and there is no reason the Minister should not take a lead in this regard. Why wait 15 months?
It is not a case of waiting 15 months, but where do we go from here?
The Minister should know, he is the boss.
We want to hear from the Minister where we go from here.
This month I published the findings of CERT which identified the areas of dissatisfaction and made recommendations on how to deal with the problems. The inaugural meeting of the new Tourism Council which was held recently provided an opportunity for all sectors of the industry to give us the benefit of their views.
Another quango.
It should be noted that there will be difficulties in terms of recruiting numbers of personnel in the tourism industry in future years. First, in 1996 there will be 10,000 fewer students leaving second level education because of the extension of the senior cycle from two to three years. Second, the continuing decline in the population means that by the year 2005 the number of 18 year olds in the Republic will be 20 per cent fewer than in 1995. Third, in line with other service sectors CERT recruits its trainees in a very competitive environment. The attractiveness of the tourism industry is very dependent upon the perception of young people and their parents, career prospects and working conditions in the industry. I am working with the industry to respond to those needs.
The Minister referred on a number of occasions to the CERT report on young people's attitudes to work in the industry and related matters. Am I right in thinking that a body of research exists which has not been published? Does the Minister intend to publish it? On co-ordination of training, does the Minister intend, in the interests of the industry, to ensure standards are reached by all those involved in training — a number of bodies other than CERT are involved?
I am not sure to what information Deputy Killeen is referring that remains unpublished. If he gives me details I will see if it is available for publication. On the training element, CERT submitted its strategic plan for development of that body and I intend to deal with that matter shortly.
Will the Minister accept that to encourage the tens of thousands of people being trained in the industry to commit themselves to a lifetime career in the industry incomes must be high, and that will not be achieved unless we improve access to this country for tourists, particularly high spending tourists from places such as the southwest coast of America? Those people do not have direct access to this country but must travel through a number of airports in order to get here. Because of the tediousness of the travel arrangements they are not coming here and we are losing out to the English and continental markets. Until definite action is taken in that area we will not be able to build a high income career for young people who should have the opportunity to earn a decent living in the tourism industry.
We appear to be going beyond the bounds of this question.
It is relevant.
Deputy Molloy has shifted ground again to another favourite subject. If the Deputy puts down a question on the North Atlantic route I will answer it.
I put down seven questions to the Minister since he came to office but nothing was done in that period.
I am as aware as the Deputy that 60 per cent of our North American visitors arrive here having had a long flight to Heathrow or some other airport. These visitors are very welcome in Ireland. It is a commercial decision for an airline to fly into this country and we are working, with the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications, on laying the foundations for such a decision if commercial airlines wish to do that.
The Minister has not achieved anything yet.
As the Deputy is aware, Aer Lingus is opening a third gateway from Chicago this year——
Chicago is not in the southern states of America.
——and the number of available seats is constantly increasing. If the Deputy tables a question on this topic I will deal with it.
I have tabled questions to the Minister.
