Sinn Féin Senator Paul Gavan has said that the recently established Tourism Recovery task force must include representatives of tourism workers through their trade unions if it aims to deliver a fair and effective recovery for all stakeholders in the industry.

Ministers Shane Ross and Brendan Griffin appointed Irish Hotels Federation CEO Elaina Fitzgerald Kane to head up the task force. The task force will include industry representatives as well as agencies such as Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland.

Senator Paul Gavan said;

“While I welcome the formation of a task force, I am deeply disappointed that the Ministers responsible have failed to include representatives of the 300,000+ tourism workers. These are the very people most able to provide the insight and ideas to guide innovation. 

“The exclusion of a voice for tourism workers is clearly antithetical to the aim of delivering a recovery for the tourism sector. The best placed people in the industry to guide innovation are those who work every day on the frontline.

“The tourism workforce is the single biggest group of stakeholders in the industry, it is baffling that they have been overlooked on the task force.

“Despite being a €6 billion a year industry and one of the most important sectors in the Irish economy, the tourism sector has long been characterised by precarious, low-paid employment for the workers. It’s a clear inequity that needs to be addressed.

“Fair representation on the recovery task force is a basic courtesy for the workers who form the backbone of this industry. I’m calling on Ministers Ross and Griffin to urgently include representatives of tourism workers, through the relevant trade unions organisations SIPTU and Congress involved in the sector. The task force can only be enriched by the experience and expertise of this workforce.”