A Cork hotelier has said that delays processing work permits for non-EEA nationals means that Irish businesses are missing out on hiring staff, who are being snapped up by other countries.
Hotel and restaurants are struggling to get back on track, even though pandemic restrictions have been lifted, because they can't get staff.
Covid restrictions ground the hospitality sector to a near standstill before being lifted at the end of January.
The industry says that staff shortages are now impeding their recovery.
Fáilte Ireland estimate that there are 40 thousand vacancies in the industry.
Speaking to RedFM News, the owner of the Vienna Woods Hotel, Michael Magner, says that he is aware of cases where work visas which were applied for in November, are only now being processed.
"We have been engaging with the minister's department, which is the Tánaiste's department. They've acknowledged that there is a delay in relation to processing permits but typically you would have seen work permits being processed in a much speedier manner historically, pre the pandemic. So as regards what's actually delaying it - we don't know. I know for a fact that work permits that were applied for last November, are now only currently being dealt with. And a lot of these candidates, if the work permits has then come through, have gone on to find other employment in other countries around the world and we've lost out on those candidates".
RedFM News has contacted the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment for comment.
