Excel Recruitment has complained of a lack of government action to provide working student visas as businesses in the hospitality sector continue to grapple with "extreme staff shortages" coming into the summer season.

The recruiter said that while labour issues in tourism and hospitality have been widely reported on, recent comments by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee demonstrate that the government has little intention of assisting the situation.

The company has now called on the government to make changes to Ireland's Stamp 2 visa programme --which is available to non-EEA applicants who plan to study in Ireland on a full-time course from an official list of programmes -- to allow students from overseas to work more hours during the summer break.

Speaking in the Dáil recently, McEntee said there are currently 33,230 non-EEA students in Ireland that are registered with an active Stamp 2 permission, but any changes to their work entitlements "would be a policy decision for the wider stakeholder group."

Stamp 2 visa holders are allowed to work 20 hours per week during the academic year, and for 40 hours per week for the remaining five months (June to September and 15 December to 15 January), but Excel Recruitment director Shane McLave said many visa holders are "economic migrants" who are learning English.

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"Ireland’s hospitality sector is struggling under the strain of staffing shortages. This country is currently home to thousands of students from abroad, many of whom are eager to work," McLave said.

"While 'studying' is one of the primary requirements for securing a Stamp 2 visa, the reality is that vast swathes of these visa holders are economic migrants and while learning English may get them a foot in the door – essentially, many are here to earn money to send back to their families.

"Prohibiting these people from working more than 20 hours a week is both needlessly harmful to their own personal financial situation and to the industries that need them in the labour force."

McLave said the income requirements for the visa have "remained stagnant" over the past several years and do not reflect the current inflationary environment, putting holders "on the back foot when it comes to affordability."

"What we have is a case whereby people are struggling to exist on the pay from a 20 hour working week, while employers throughout the country, particularly in the hospitality and retail sectors are shouting out for workers," he added.

McLave said that the government had no inclination to change the work entitlements of Stamp 2 visa holders but called for the state to extend the 20- 30 hours visa so that "employers will have more access to staff and international students will have more income to maintain a decent standard of living while in Ireland."

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