Leitrim hotels struggling to find staff accommodation amid housing crisis
The Landmark Hotel in Carrick-on-Shannon says finding accommodation for staff remains a major challenge as the Irish Hotels Federation outlines Budget 2027 priorities.
Finding accommodation for staff continues to present challenges for hotels in Leitrim, according to the Landmark Hotel in Carrick-on-Shannon, as the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) has outlined its priorities for Budget 2027.
Hoteliers from across the country recently met TDs and Senators to discuss the challenges facing Irish tourism and the measures they say are needed to support the sector’s long-term development.
Ahead of Budget 2027, the IHF has called for measures to address business costs, support the development of hotel staff accommodation, invest in training and skills, reduce Employers’ PRSI for labour-intensive hospitality businesses, enhance funding for hotel sustainability initiatives, increase investment in Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, and introduce policies to support additional hotel capacity.
The hospitality and tourism sector supports approximately 5,000 jobs across Leitrim and Sligo, while nationally tourism generates an estimated €10 billion annually. Although the sector has continued to recover since the Covid-19 pandemic, it continues to face rising operating costs, according to the IHF.
Luka Tunić, Front Office Manager at the Landmark Hotel in Carrick-on-Shannon, welcomed the reduction in the hospitality VAT rate from 13.5 per cent to 9 per cent, which took effect in July, but said challenges remain locally.
He said staff accommodation continues to be a significant issue. “There is always a problem with staff accommodation. When I came here I found a problem with finding a place. Everyone who comes here, they really have issues finding accommodation.”
Mr Tunić said this reflected the wider housing shortage. “Regardless of where you work or where you live it’s an issue.” He also said he believed the current summer season had been quieter than the same period last year.
“I think it may be linked to more people choosing to travel abroad while airfares remain unpredictable because of fuel shortages.”
The Landmark Hotel welcomes both domestic and international visitors, including guests from North and Central America. Mr Tunić also expressed the view that Ireland remains competitively priced as a tourist destination.
“I don’t agree that Ireland is becoming too expensive as a tourist destination. Everywhere you go, it’s basically the same. Even in Croatia, which is quite popular now, it’s almost twice as expensive compared to Ireland. Even with Hungary and Slovakia, there isn’t that big of a difference.
“We have a lot to offer here. A lot of people come here for the culture and you can’t get that anywhere else.”
Speaking about recruitment, Mr Tunić said training within the hospitality sector had changed in recent years. “After Covid, everything changed, especially in hospitality. People aren’t trained the same anymore.” He said the shortage of accommodation remained the biggest obstacle to recruiting and retaining staff.
“The main problem is physical housing here in Carrick. Even if the Government helps people with payments, there is nowhere for them to go. I think that’s the biggest problem.”
Mr Tunić also said the hotel had experienced difficulties obtaining some supplies during the past three to four months. “Most of the things we order, people are just out of stock. Nobody is delivering to Ireland. That’s the biggest problem in the past three or four months.”
He said the shortages included imported goods such as certain alcohol, drinks and condiments. “As soon as the petrol came up, people just stopped delivering. It’s like a pyramid, it comes from the top and everything goes down.”
He also said the hotel had taken steps to reduce energy consumption. “For example, in one room where we serve food, costs came up €200 more per day. But we have to survive.”