Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I think the tourism action plan is due in a couple of weeks, or maybe two or three weeks. It is a new draft. Regarding Brexit, these tourist figures are a very curious thing. In a sense they are defying gravity at the moment. They are fantastic. The figures for the first two months of this year were up 7.9% on last year, despite what is happening as a result of Brexit, and despite the fact that numbers from the UK are falling. That might surprise people. They were up last year, by a smaller amount. I think it was 3.5%. They have increased by 7.9% this year, which indicates that we have momentum, despite the fact that there is a fall in British visitors.

I do not think that will continue. I do not know. However, what the tourism agencies are doing, and very successfully, is finding new markets. They are also spending money on the UK, so the numbers are not coming down as far as one might expect if viewed alongside the currency, which has fallen 12%. The number of visitors from the UK has fallen by a very small percentage compared with that, decreasing by 3% or 4%. We are doing very well despite the fall in the value of sterling. That does not mean there is any room for complacency. We did give them extra money last year for digital marketing and research, and they have used that very well. At the moment we are constantly looking at the possibility of giving more money to our agencies, but we should bear in mind that they are massively successful in what they are doing. We have been surprised by the success shown in the figures and that they have not fallen further. We are very happy with them.