RAI call for recruitment of European hospitality workers ahead of Christmas season

The Restaurants Association of Ireland believe recruitment of hotel, restaurant and bar managers from European countries could “save the Christmas season”.

The RAI are appealing for a number of European hospitality workers to be eligible for general work permits in Ireland, in order to help attract foreign workers to the industry, the Examiner reports.

The group have called for immediate action on recruitment for the Irish hospitality sector in European countries, in a bid to address the staffing difficulties in the industry. They made the request as part of their pre-budget submission for Budget 2023.

The RAI have said that the last quarter of this year, particularly the Christmas season, will be vital for Ireland’s hospitality sector  “with the majority of income made at this time of year so seasonal staffing by specialist European workers would save the season”.

The RAI’s submission calls for a number of workers including hotel, restaurant and bar managers to be able to apply for Irish work permits, as well as resourcing of Government departments and sections “to ensure timely processing of applications critical for workers and businesses; visas, work permits and PPS numbers”.

The restaurant sector has also called for the Government to extend the 9% VAT rate beyond February 2023 – this measure was initially introduced to combat the effects of the pandemic on the Irish hospitality sector. The Government extended the rate until next February back in May, but the RAI have requested that it run until Feb 2025.

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