Demands for compulsory and supervised quarantining of all people entering Ireland could seriously disrupt plans to bring in 1,500 seasonal workers for the horticulture sector.
The hiring of hundreds of foreign staff, primarily from Bulgaria and Romania, to work picking fruit and vegetables on Irish farms this spring and summer is well advanced.
However, these moves could be scuppered by efforts to enforce a quarantine regime for everybody entering the country.
The costs involved in adhering to the quarantine rules would make the hiring of foreign staff prohibitive, industry sources say.
In excess of 1,500 seasonal workers will be needed at the height of the summer season to harvest soft fruit and vegetables, as well as working in the provision of shrubs and plants for garden centres.