"The hotel that's got it all - except Manuel." So one Killarney hotel describes itself in a new radio ad, assuring guests half-jokingly that one person they won't encounter during their stay is the infamous, accident-prone Spanish waiter of Fawlty Towers.
But ironically, few hotels in the area - or in the country as a whole - seem to be able to manage without Manuel, or his French, German or Italian equivalent these days.
A severe shortage of domestic staff has led to a surge in demand for overseas waiters, chefs and chamber maids. But quite unlike the moustached man from "Barthelona", these young imports are highly professional, with experience and qualifications often exceeding those of their Irish counterparts.
"My two German waitresses have just won employees of the month. That tells you something about the standards of work among our overseas staff," says Mr Jim Feeny, general manager of the Great Southern Hotel in Parknasilla, Co Kerry. The hotel has welcomed applicants from New York, France and the Basque country like manna from heaven but Mr Feeny admits the influx has its downside.
"Some of our clientele would prefer to be served by local people. There is an innate hospitality offered by locals which is sadly missed. But what can you do? It's extremely difficult to get staff."
The story is the same around the country. Hoteliers and restaurateurs are finding themselves relying more heavily on overseas workers as young Irish graduates stay away from the sector.
The problem came into sharper focus this week when the Minister for Tourism, Dr McDaid, announced the industry was on course for a record six million visitors this year. The combined effect of the Tour de France in July and the peace dividend is due to drive up tourism figures and, as a result, demand for staff.
But the Minister also warned of the possible erosion of the traditional quality of our welcome - the foundation of Ireland's tourism success.
Such fears are already being borne out, according to a Killarney-based recruitment consultant, Mr Denis Moylan. "Hoteliers will deny it but standards of service are already beginning to fall. The lack of qualified, trained personnel is having a negative impact on the sector."
His company, Catering Recruitment and Consultancy (CRC), which is due to open a new office in Galway next month, last year introduced 250 overseas workers to the Irish market in response to the shortage. This year he expects to import up to 500 such workers, mainly from France, Germany, Norway, Finland and Spain, about two-thirds of whom are fully-trained, with students comprising the rest.
"I'm finding the quality of people coming over is somewhat better than what's available here. That's a great shame. Ireland used to be very proud of its reputation for training but we don't seem to be changing with the times."
He says the industry suffers from an image problem, linked not so much to low wages but to long and unsociable hours.
An additional problem is the seasonal nature of tourism, says Ms Kathleen O'Regan Shepperd, a guest-house owner and director of Cork/Kerry Tourism. "The seasonality of the work puts most people off. They won't look at it as a career option and that poses a serious concern for the future of the industry." She says Ireland's attraction as a tourist destination rests on the environment and the people, adding that there is "a danger of us losing our uniqueness" if overseas workers are to replace locals in large numbers.
Ireland West Tourism has found that overseas workers are increasingly needed not just for hotel and catering vacancies but for tourist information jobs.
"There's no point in expecting someone straight from Strasbourg or Nice to know about the streets and pubs of Galway. A lot of them wouldn't have a clue about Ireland or its geography," says Mr Noel O'Rourke, services executive at the tourism body. "But there are those who have lived here for a while and know the city."
Mr O'Rourke doesn't believe people would in any way be disappointed to be served by someone from overseas . "In fact, in many ways it can be an asset."
Ms Grainne O'Malley, press officer with the State training agency CERT, agrees: "At the end of the day it's the quality of hospitality which counts, whether it's an Irish person or an overseas person."
CERT is blamed by many in the industry for failing to provide more training places but Ms O'Malley says the problem runs deeper. Despite the fact that the average salary for chefs rose by 20 per cent last year to about £30,000, the take-up on CERT training courses in the area this year dropped by about 15 per cent, or by almost 200 participants.
The main cause of the staff shortages, she says, is the buoyancy of the industry rather than working conditions or the seasonality of tourism. According to a survey carried out in 1996, 77 per cent of the 180,000 people employed in tourism here were in permanent jobs, just 18 per cent were seasonal employees and 5 per cent occasional.
"The tourism season is stretching further and further. It's moving towards an all-year-round industry," she says.
Mr Frank O'Malley, SIPTU's branch secretary for the hotel, restaurant and catering sector, blames hotels for a lack of forward planning. "There is an over-reliance on CERT and other training agencies to produce graduates to be employed by hotels rather than hotels deciding to train them themselves."
The issue of wages also remains a problem in many areas, says Mr O'Malley. In Dublin, hotel staff can earn a basic wage of between £3 and £7 an hour, with service charge and tips adding between £150 and £600 to the weekly pay packet. Wages in rural areas tend to be lower, with chambermaids earning on average between £8,500 and £10,000 a year with living expenses.
There are indications, however, that the industry is waking up to the staffing problem. The topic has become a hot issue in the local press, including the Kerryman, which noted in a recent major investigation of the situation that column and after column of newspaper ads for hotel staff are clear evidence of what's going on.
In this context, the expected publication of a strategy report on the industry by the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation later this month is eagerly awaited.