The continued growth of the hotel and guest house sector has created a demand for skilled staff which exceeds the supply currently available, the CERT survey shows. The situation is even worse in restaurants, with "acute skill shortages".
The survey shows that the catering sector in general has little interest in plans for training, and has a derisory training budget.
In the west of Ireland, 87 per cent of hotels are experiencing skill shortages, according to the survey.
It shows that 46 per cent of hoteliers, 31 per cent of restaurateurs and 10 per cent of guest house owners have recruited staff from abroad. Some operators have actively targeted specific countries like Spain, France and Germany. Others rely on the annual influx of students, particularly during the summer.
The survey found a need for 1,225 qualified chefs and 1,208 commis chefs, and a shortage of 996 waiting staff and 793 kitchen staff. It reports a shortage of 189 managers.
Staff turnover is a problem facing many operators. Of permanent skilled staff within the hotel sector who have ceased employment, 55 per cent have remained within the industry, 31 per cent have moved to another industry and 14 per cent have emigrated.
Only a third of hotels and 3 per cent of guest houses have an action plan for training, according to the survey. Only one-fifth of hotels and 2 per cent of guest houses have a dedicated training budget. Among restaurants, only 18 per cent have an action plan for training and only 6 per cent have a dedicated training budget.
The gender composition among permanent employees is now 48 per cent male and 52 per cent female - a shift towards increased male employment. Two-thirds of seasonal and casual employees are female.