We need more Irish employed at the discount supermarkets

We have recently read and heard reports of the increasing market share being gained by the two discount supermarkets, Aldi and Lidl.

We have read about how they encourage new Irish suppliers and help them to develop new brands, a move which deserves the highest of praise.

There have been other articles in the past year about a successful Dublin publican who favours having Irish people as his frontline staff behind the bar.

This policy was attacked by the Immigrant Council of Ireland as being unfair.

But are the the recruitment practices of discount supermarkets unfair as they seem to be? The majority of these stores, which I visit as a customer, seem to have more non-Irish employed than Irish.

The store in my home town has approximately 80% non-Irish employed. Why is this?

The breakdown in Irish, non-Irish ratios are statistically improbable if potential employees both Irish and non Irish are given the same chances. Is this discrimination in favour of non-nationals?

Senior readers will remember the “No Irish need apply” notices in shops in London in the 1950s and 1960s and why they were displayed overseas.

The modern version of this seems to be “Few Irish need apply”.

Why aren’t more Irish being employed?

Tony Walsh

Summerhill Rise

Tramore

County Waterford