Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will start at the end of Deputy Fitzpatrick's questions and work backwards. In respect of our interactions with Northern Ireland, unfortunately there is not a functioning Executive there at the moment, which is causing its own difficulties. If anybody can assist in re-establishing a functioning Executive in the North, the Government would welcome that assistance. In the absence of an Executive, we continue to engage through our embassy, officials in my Department and directly at ministerial level. I have already had a meeting with my opposite number and I am due to go to London again shortly to meet the stakeholders in respect of Tourism Ireland. We have already met the Secretary of State with responsibility for culture and media. We are keeping the option open to have further dialogue. We have been very conscious of the need to make the British authorities acutely aware of the impact of Brexit on tourism and sports.

In respect of sport, the Deputy is right. We are very anxious to ensure that disruption is minimised. Sport is a unifying force. We want to maintain the ease of transition across the Border. From an athlete's point of view, this would include the movement of sports equipment, animals and people themselves. Under the direction of John Treacy, Sport Ireland looks after the day-to-day operation of the national governing bodies of sport. This is obviously playing in to the narrative of how the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is looking at it through the Cabinet sub-committee. We also need to focus on the very positive work that is being done. When it comes to the Rugby World Cup, the Women's Rugby World Cup, the GAA or any other sporting organisation, the Irish Government does want difficulties placed in people's way. That is the basis on which we are approaching the negotiations.

On Fáilte Ireland, I would draw attention to the work it is doing in engaging with local authorities in particular. I brought legislation through this committee not that long ago in respect of the ceilings for capital expenditure. The Department and the Government are very anxious to make sure that capital investment through Fáilte Ireland is maximised in a range of areas and projects. In the Deputy's own constituency, I recently launched the redevelopment of Carlingford Castle along with the Office of Public Works. I have engaged with representatives in County Donegal in the last fortnight and am acutely aware, at both local authority and elected Member levels, of the concerns there.

I and my officials have met the new CEO of Fáilte Ireland. We are looking to introduce very basic changes to how festivals are funded, particularly in Border areas that are going to be associated with Brexit to a larger degree than the rest of the State. We have also ensured that Fáilte Ireland is aware of our concerns about capital funding. The two categories of capital grants, both the large and smaller ones, are working their way through the system. We have to be conscious of the fact that Fáilte Ireland is an accounting agency. It receives its funding from the Department and delivers the money based on a needs analysis. The Department is feeding in from an overall policy point of view, ensuring that we get the best bang for our buck across the country. I met the new Fáilte Ireland CEO on a number of occasions and have relayed concerns about capital expenditure in rural communities in particular and also in respect of the development and further expansion of the brands the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland's Ancient East. In fairness to Fáilte Ireland, in the immediate aftermath of Brexit, a lot of announcements have been made and work has started on capital works and brand development.

The Deputy mentioned the drop off in tourism figures from Great Britain, which to a large degree reflects the fall in sterling by about 11% since the original referendum result. We cannot attribute everything to the drop in sterling, however. Some of the decline may be due to people deciding to be more patriotic and holiday at home. All of a sudden, Ireland is competing with Wales, Scotland and the Lake District to a much greater degree than before because of the value for money element. We have a job to do in terms of attracting the discerning British tourist. Fáilte Ireland has worked on categorisation with Tourism Ireland so that we know exactly where our visitors come from. We can identify the magazines and newspapers they read and radio stations they listen to and we advertise on that basis. We have additional money this year and are going to look for more as part of the Estimates process, to mitigate the drop in numbers. On 12 June, along with Tourism Ireland, I am going to meet the tour operators that bring people to the island of Ireland. We will get first-hand information from them as to what they are looking for and what they want to see happening. In an overall context, tourism numbers are up. We have a difficulty in respect of Britain.

Emerging markets, however, are also very strong. Northern Europe is very strong, North America is very strong and we are seeing more air gateways coming in from the Far East.

The tourism leadership group meets on a quarterly basis and is a representative group of the entire industry. Everybody is equal, the Minister, Deputy Ross chairs and in his absence I chair the group. We try to get a feel from the industry about what are the issues of concern to them and there are a number including Brexit and training. Local authorities, Fáilte Ireland and the State agencies are there and it is a frank, open and honest discussion. It really guides policy development and Department focus from a tourism point of view.