Vol. 474 No. 2
10 Mr. Cowen asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if he will give details of the national campaign to market tourism employment; and the plans, if any, he has to address concerns about pay and conditions in the industry. [2614/97]
The Deputy has asked for details of the national campaign to market tourism employment. This falls within the day-to-day responsibility of CERT, the State tourism training agency, and I have already taken the opportunity to ask them to write directly to the Deputy as soon as possible with details of their plans for 1997.
As regards regulation of pay and conditions in the industry this matter is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Deputy Richard Bruton.
That is not really the answer to a reasonable question. The Minister could have obtained the information from CERT, which is a good organisation and would have been forthcoming about the information the Deputy sought. As the Minister did not answer the second part of the question, it is fair to say that the industry itself has expressed concern about an image problem in that area. Can the Minister be more forthcoming about the information sought in the Deputy's question? Surely, even without consulting either of the organisations concerned, the Minister would have that information.
I have. The State tourism agency plans to target more than 5,000 new recruits, both school-leavers and adults, for the industry this year. To achieve this target its national recruitment campaign and a variety of actions will be intensified during 1997. These actions comprise a media campaign including a weekly update of training vacancies on Aertel. The advertising campaign will feature in four national newspapers with more than 500 slots planned for national and local radio. Public consciousness about job opportunities will be raised through radio interviews and press releases in the national and local media. A new development this year will involve the publication of a 16-page supplement in the Irish Independent on careers in tourism during the month of February. An additional 5,000 copies of the supplement will be published for use at career events throughout the year. In addition, talk shows on the tourism industry are planned on the local radio network four times a week over a six-week period to coincide with the media advertising campaign. There will be workshops for career guidance counsellors and career talks and exhibitions in schools, of which there are over 90 planned for 1997. There will be a telephone information line on freephone 1800, open days in hotels, and it is planned to organise a special promotion campaign in Donegal, Leitrim and Cavan in eight hotels. Career open days will also take place in four CERT training centres. There will be circulation of careers information to over 1,400 schools, FÁS offices, libraries and youth organisations. There is more. I can give it all to the Deputy if he wishes.
My question arose out of the lack of response in the first instance. It is clear that the Minister is anxious to give the information. The answer only confirms my view that CERT is an excellent organisation going about its business in an extremely professional way.
Does the Minister have a point of view about pay and conditions in the industry? Mr. Matt McNulty, chief executive of Board Fáilte, who very kindly came before a committee of the House yesterday and was very forthcoming in his response to questions said there was not much of a problem in relation to pay and conditions. I do not agree with him, given the information I have at my disposal from very reputable members of the industry.
I would certainly be prepared to meet the Deputy and deal with that if it is not in accordance with what we would wish. I would like to see work in the tourism industry strongly promoted as a concept among young people because it is in their careers that its future strength lies. This should be seen and understood by parents as an area where good career prospects exist with good working conditions and rates of pay. The IHF have come around to that view. The industry itself understands that this is critical for its development. If Deputy Andrews knows of specific instances where this does not apply, I would be very happy to take the matter up on his behalf with the Minister for Enterprise and Employment and with the relevant agencies.
I welcome the Minister's initiative in putting the kind of information he mentions before school leavers, but would he agree that there is not much point in making such presentations to people if they already know from their own experience and that of their peers that some of these jobs are very poorly paid and that the hours are very long?
I also welcome the IHF intervention. They, more than anybody, realise the damage which is being done to the industry. While it is, strictly speaking, the function of the Minister's colleague, the Minister for Enterprise and Employment, it is a very important element of the tourism product in Ireland that the employees be well looked after and be in a position to reflect a good image of Ireland to those who come here. Unless this is addressed we will continue to have serious difficulties in this area. Would the Minister be prepared to push a little harder on this?
The tourism awareness programme continues to raise the profile of tourism in second level schools and contributes to CERT's long-term recruitment to the industry. Deputy Killeen will also be aware that CERT assists employers to promote employment and training opportunities by allocating training places to employers who wish to nominate staff for training. I launched a number of these during the year. Also, for the first time, in 1997 under the CERT-NTCB industry qualification scheme employers in tourism who give training on the job will have access to a national qualification. This scheme has the broad support of employer bodies in tourism like the IHF, the Restaurants Association of Ireland and the Vintners Association of Ireland, and is really designed as a powerful motivation to employees who have no formal qualifications. I am very happy with the progress that is being made in shifting this industry from one with a backward perception to one that is outgoing, upbeat, progressive and rewarding. I admit that there are cases where everything is not perfect but we have to work in the overall context and pull them all up rather than pull them all down.
