Employers 'completely dependent' on non-EU workers, tourism chiefs say

The tightening labour market and difficulties in hiring staff is one of the biggest challenges facing the hospitality sector, the conference heard.

One in five of the country's workers is a non-Irish citizen, with the economy now "completely dependent" on people from outside the EU to fill jobs, the Irish Hotels Federation conference in Killarney has heard.

This tightening labour market and difficulties in hiring staff is one of the biggest challenges facing the hospitality sector and the economy as a whole, the 400 delegates were told.