A NUMBER of hotels in Dublin are using a Madrid agency to recruit Spanish staff to fill lower paid jobs.
Mr John McEvoy, who runs the agency, said he had placed 75-100 Spanish workers over the last two years "at the lower end of the industry, working in the kitchen dining room and accommodation areas".
The hotel and catering industry is finding it hard to attract Irish people to fill these jobs. At the high-skill end of the business, managers say it is also difficult to find good chefs.
More and more staff are needed because of rapid growth in the tourism industry. The rate of growth worldwide in the tourism industry was 4 per cent last year, but in Ireland it was 15 per cent. Tourism is expected to overtake agriculture as Ireland's biggest industry by the year 1999. One hotel a month is to open in Dublin over the next year.
Mr McEvoy says he is currently placing Spanish staff with "about five" Irish hotels, mainly in the Dublin area. He says these include the Killiney Castle Hotel and the Royal Dublin Hotel in O'Connell Street.
He expects his business to grow in the coming weeks when Irish students who have been working in the industry during the summer holidays go back to full-time study. He plans to begin an advertising campaign in Spain next month for people wanting to work in Ireland.
Mr McEvoy's operation is small compared to the major recruiting agencies for the Irish hotel and catering industry. He has no formal Dublin office yet, but intends to open one, called Eurosolutions, within the next few months.
Knowledge of his services has been spread mainly "by my own canvassing and by word of mouth."
Hotels contact him, he says, when vacancies remain unfilled. His office in Madrid interviews candidates and checks their references. He also arranges accommodation for the young Spaniards during their time in Ireland.
"For the young Spanish, the biggest attraction in coming to Ireland is not the pay, but the language. They're delighted to go to Ireland, to earn enough to live on for a few months, and to be improving their English."
There is no limit on the length of time Spanish workers can stay here. Most of them, according to Mr McEvoy, spend three or four months.
Victoria Lopez, a 24-year-old psychology student from Madrid, found work in the Royal Dublin Hotel as a waitress through the McEvoy agency.
"I have been here three months. I came to improve my English. Yes, I like it here but I don't know how long I will stay in Ireland."
Mr Christian Bauer, catering manager at the Royal Dublin Hotel, explained: "There are not enough people here coming forward in response to ads, especially in the chef, receptionist and dining areas. I have been interviewing for nine years. At that time, we got a huge response to an ad. I don't know where all the people have gone."
Ms Ruth Reidy, personnel spokeswoman at the Killiney Castle Hotel, confirmed that the hotel had used the McEvoy agency.
Mr Norman Croke of SIPTU said that unattractive conditions and rates of pay in the industry were the major reason that Irish hotels cannot get Irish staff in sufficient numbers.
"I warned 18 months ago that the skill shortage would result in tapping into the foreign market. I believed then it would be solely in the craft area. What I never envisaged was that in the low-skill end, such as accommodation Spanish labour would be bought in. This has caught even me by surprise."
Mr John Power, of the Irish Hotels Federation, said he was not aware of hotels recruiting staff from Spain in a concerted way.
"Finding staff in a period of accelerated growth is a challenge. It is my view that remuneration packages are sufficiently attractive. I don't think anyone can level a criticism at the industry as low-paid," he said.
There are no statutory minimum rates of pay for the hotel industry in Dublin. Rates applicable in the rest of the State, except Cork city, used as guidelines for Dublin, set gross minimum weekly rates at £91.51 for house assistants; £82.18 for first-year waiting staff, and £125.09 for general workers.
SIPTU last week served general strike notice on the Royal Dublin Hotel in a dispute about pay and conditions, to take effect this Saturday.
