Hospitality

Call for chefs to be included on critical skills list

Recruitment firm founder tells Oireachtas committee that cutting the visa processing timeframe would help to tackle the countrywide shortage in the sector

Paddy Lynn, chief executive of We Have Chefs, said there is a shortage of around 10,000 chefs countrywide. Picture: Bryan Meade

Chefs should be added to the critical skills list, the founder of a recruitment company is to tell an Oireactas committee this week.

Paddy Lynn, co-founder of We Have Chefs, has said there is a shortage of around 10,000 chefs countrywide and recruitment problems in the hospitality sector have been well documented since the onset of the pandemic in 2020.

Currently it can take about 16 weeks to process work permits for chefs from outside ...