Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

If changes are implemented in the middle of the tourism season, could they be disruptive? Is the Minister aware of the existing uncertainty among the RTAs as to their future role and the fact that they will no longer be managing the tourist information offices? Is he also addressing the problems, for example, in the Cork-Kerry tourism area? There are difficulties in that area, as the Minister will be aware, and that certainly is affecting morale in the area among the workers and the elements of the industry.

Will the Minister answer specifically whether the recommendations will be put in place this summer? Does he envisage any role in future for the RTAs in the local information offices? If the RTAs have no budget, what precisely can they do about product development or whatever? It would seem that in the future the RTAs will really be ineffective. It strikes me that they will be merely talking shops or a forum for the industry, but really ineffective.

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