In another sign of the skills shortages, at least 30 Polish butchers have arrived in Ireland in the past couple of days to take up jobs.
They were recruited to work in the Kepak meat processing company.
Other meat processors have been recruiting butchers for a number of years from the former eastern Europe, according to a Government spokesperson.
A spokesperson from Kepak was not available for comment yesterday evening.
These butchers usually debone carcasses. De-boning is "the toughest manual work around" requiring "brawn" and a certain amount of precision, according to an industry spokesperson.
The employer, who applies for a work permit on behalf of the employee, must "demonstrate" they have attempted to fill the position from the existing workforce before a permit will be issued by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Work permits are issued for between one month and a year.
The number of permits for workers from outside the State has increased over the past number of years, according to a recent Department statement.
Latest annual figures from the Department show a 54 per cent increase in permits between 1996 (3,700) and 1998 (5,700).
The Government announced recently it intends to set up inter-departmental arrangements next month to facilitate the granting of work permits to people from non-EU countries to enable them to take up unfilled employment opportunities in the Republic.