Joint Committee on Public Petitions to consider petitions on adding chefs to critical skills list and saving services at Owenacurra Health Centre, east Cork

The meeting at 1.30pm in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House will be split into two sessions.

1.30pm – Public Petition Number P00025/22 ‘Add Chefs to the Critical Skills list now; to save Irish Hospitality’ from Mr Paddy Lynn.

2. 30pm – Public Petition Number P00042/21 ‘Saving the services of the Owenacurra Centre, Midleton, east Cork’ from Ms Joanna Curtis.

The Committee will also consider a number of other petitions from members of the public.

Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Martin Browne said: “Our first petitioner is Mr Paddy Lynn, Founder and CEO of WeHaveChefs Ltd, a specialist recruitment agency for staff in the hospitality sector. He is seeking to have Chefs added to the list of workers that qualify for the Critical Skills Employment Permit, which is administered by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, in order to aid in recruitment of chefs from outside the EU due to the shortage of suitable staff in the hospitality sector. Mr Lynn will be joined by Mr Khairul Nizam Bin Nayan, who is a chef.

“The second petition from Ms Joanna Curtis relates saving services at the Owenacurra Centre in Midleton, Co Cork. Owenacurra is the only HSE long-stay and respite care Adult Mental Health facility in the east Cork area. In June 2021, the HSE announced its plans close the Owenacurra Centre. We will hear from a representative of the Save Owenacurra Campaign, Ms Orla Kelleher, whose aunt is a long-term resident of the centre.

“The Committee looks forward to hearing from all our witnesses and considering both petitions, as well as examining a number of other petitions submitted by members of the public.”

The Joint Committee on Public Petitions is a standing Committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas and has 11 Members, seven from the Dáil and four from the Seanad.

The meeting in the Committee Room 4 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.