Irish hospitality firms under scrutiny

Hotel and catering companies in the Irish Republic are being investigated by the Irish government for possible breaches of employment law. Out of 108 businesses under investigation, a total of 33 were in the hotel and catering trade, said the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The investigations include employers not paying prearranged wage rates, making illegal wage deductions and not paying overtime or holiday pay, as well as workers being paid below the minimum wage or working excessive hours. Each investigation involved companies employing both Irish workers and foreign workers with legal work permits or visas, a spokeswoman added. For decades Irish workers often had to go abroad to find work, but the booming "Celtic Tiger" economy has meant the situation has reversed and the Republic has been forced to look overseas for workers. An estimated 25,000 workers from outside the European Union have come into Ireland since January, the majority from Latvia, Lithuania, the Philippines and Poland. by Nic Paton