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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 26 Nov 1996

Vol. 472 No. 1

Priority Questions. - Tourism Staff.

David Andrews

Question:

32 Mr. Andrews asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if he will ensure that the existing shortage of skilled staff within the tourism industry is immediately and urgently addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22194/96]

Mr. O'Sullivan

In reply to similar questions on this subject on 17 October the Minister outlined a range of policy measures being taken to improve training and recruitment in the tourism sector. The CERT Research Report on Successful Recruitment and Staff Retention in Tourism, launched earlier this year, sets out clearly the factors which need to be considered by tourism businesses in their approach to designing an attractive job and career package that leads to successful recruitment and retention of staff. This includes a reasonable level of pay and conditions, improved staff-management relations and the development of attractive career paths.

It is encouraging to note that the industry representative associations and individual businesses in tourism are already conscious of the competitive staff recruitment environment which they face. As the Minister stated in an earlier reply, the Irish Hotels Federation will shortly launch a programme to highlight the attractiveness of careers within the hotel and guesthouse sector. CERT, in conjunction with the industry, has taken steps already to increase training places and to improve the image of the industry, including direct training initiatives which will provide approximately 600 additional training places for full-time craft and employment programmes to supplement those provided in Department of Education colleges.

CERT mounts nationwide publicity and promotion campaigns to attract school leavers and unemployed adults into training. These include media campaigns, the advertising of vacancies on Aertel, workshops for career guidance counsellors, career talks in school and career exhibitions. At present a national campaign is being planned for 1997 to target some 6,000 recruits. Employers will be asked to help tackle the image problem. The aim of the campaign is to position tourism as a first choice career and to promote employment packages that support this image. Already rates of pay to CERT graduates during 1996 have been substantially higher than in previous years, and this can only serve to enhance the image of the industry.

In 1995 CERT set up a national recruitment committee representative of industry bodies to co-ordinate and implement local promotion campaigns by industry. The work of this committee is continuing and these promotion campaigns are being extended countrywide.

Earlier this year, CERT launched a new Trainers in Industry programme which will create up to 2,000 formally accredited trainers in Irish tourism companies by 1999. This will mean direct training by CERT is backed up by a substantial increase in training carried out by the industry itself and means that the industry will take greater responsibility for the development of its own workforce. In addition, a new CERT-National Tourism Certification Board initiative will provide on the job training and certification at elementary level for all skill categories in the industry. CERT is confident that given its own fully comprehensive national recruitment campaign, and with the support of the industry, the challenge of recruiting and training the additional workforce required for the sector can be achieved.

I thank the Minister for his extensive reply. I put down this question by way of support rather than criticism of the industry. The industry is aware of the shortcomings in the various areas referred to by the Minister. The production of a statement of direction for the industry in terms of staff, pay and conditions and so on will be very helpful. Will the Minister agree that in some areas the conditions under which staff operate are not the best? Not only are working conditions not up to standard but living conditions also must be considered. Will the Minister bring these matters to the attention of the industry which, in the main, can hold its head proudly as a flagship operation? Will the Minister of State agree that matters remain to be addressed?

Mr. O'Sullivan

The first people to acknowledge the problems are those in the industry. The Irish Hotels Federation and the trade union movement are taking measures to address them. In recent weeks I was invited to Liberty Hall where SIPTU and other craft unions in the catering and hotel industries held an open day to inform young people about careers in those industries.

The Deputy asked me a question regarding living conditions but I am not in a position to furnish that information to him, unless he refers to some specific instance. I will convey the Deputy's concerns to the Minister.

That is what I want the Minister of State to do because I am not in the business of informing and I do not intend to give the information to the Minister. I want him to be aware that in some instances conditions are less than salubrious as far as young people are concerned. It is those living and working conditions, among others, which do not attract young people to the industry. This industry has proven to be one worth developing but it is appropriate that I should point out some of its shortcomings. The industry is aware of these and will no doubt check them in due course.

Mr. O'Sullivan

I am conscious of problems in the industry. There is a demand for young people in the hotel industry which wants to encourage school leavers, as a first option, to seek employment in it. That is extremely important but certain measures will have to be taken to achieve this. There are certain drawbacks in the industry. Having worked in the services sector I know the hours are not attractive. A seven day rota does not appeal to young people who are not prepared to sacrifice their leisure time to go into an industry when they can have better pay, more sociable hours and better working conditions in other industries. These conditions will not attract some people but there are others who are ideally suited for the tourism industry. It is significant that we have 102,000 full-time job equivalents in the industry and before the end of this decade more people will be involved in tourism than in agriculture. I welcome the latest initiative by CERT to recruit 6,000 people this year and the fact that the industry is rowing in behind CERT to provide training. That is recognition of the problem and I hope it will be addressed in the not too distant future.

Question No. 33 has been postponed. The time allocated for priority questions is exhausted but we may take Deputy Killeen's Question No. 35 in the category of other questions.

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