The chief executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI), Adrian Cummins, was among those who appeared before the Oireachtas Business, Enterprise and Innovation committee on 12 December to discuss the cost of doing business in Ireland.
As reported by RTE.ie, the committee meeting followed an appeal by the National Competitiveness Council for a determined effort from government, enterprise and trade unions to ensure that wage levels don’t outstrip growth in productivity.
Topics addressed by Cummins included insurance costs, local-authority rates, stealth taxes and the skills shortage in the hospitality sector. He pointed out that nothing significant has been done to solve the skills-shortage issue since the RAI began discussing it in 2012.
Asserting that 5,000 chefs and 28,000 employees are required to maintain a working industry in the months ahead, Cummins expressed his belief that Ireland needs to entrust the training of hospitality staff to one single organisation, similar to how Teagasc handles farming.
Additionally, Cummins argued that hospitality workers are experiencing difficulties in finding affordable accommodation, especially in Dublin and other urban areas, and he said that he is anxious to hear how the Construction Industry Federation intends to deal with this issue.
