Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 April 2021
331. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the plans being put in place to protect the employees of the hospitality sector (details supplied). [22309/21]
View answerThe Government has introduced some very effective supports for tourism businesses and employees since the pandemic began last year, including the Tourism Business Continuity Scheme, the CRSS, the EWSS and the PUP. The Government has stated that there will be no cliff-edge ending to these supports.
Fáilte Ireland, along with its stakeholders, is working to address issues such as skills shortage and labour supply in the tourism hospitality sector through initiatives such as a Recruitment Event which took place earlier this week to address sector-wide HR reopening challenges. Fáilte Ireland is also engaged in the provision of a range of supports and services to employers to fill vacancies (in collaboration with Dept Social Protection); and exploring new initiatives, such as a proposed Tourism Education Gateway to provide education and skills training for all tourism employees.
My colleagues the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD and Minister of State for Skills, Niall Collins TD, also recently announced two new skills programmes to assist hospitality and tourism sectors with COVID-19 challenges and ensure they are ready for reopening of the sectors.
I am committed to continuing support for tourism through this difficult period and to working towards reopening and recovery and I continue to engage with bodies representing the tourism hospitality sector. As part of the National Economic Recovery Plan, Government will be outlining how it will help people return to work and further support sectors which have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Along with my colleagues in Government, I will consider more targeted measures to help reboot those sectors, such as tourism, which will face particular challenges during the recovery phase when the economy reopens.
