Chef shortage made worse by visa delays, says Cork hotel manager

Delays are contributing to staff shortages here as skilled chefs who want to work in Ireland can be put off by the delays.

Restaurants and hotels are increasingly going to cut their opening hours because of the amount of time it takes the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to process migrant worker visas, a leading hotelier has warned.

Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) vice president Michael Magner said delays in the work permit and visa process are taking up to five months.