John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

As I have advised the House on a number of occasions this year, most recently on 31 May, individual actions and measures relating to tourism promotion or development at regional level are day-to-day functions of the State tourism agencies.

I have previously informed the House of my full support for the proposed changes in regional structures and the establishment of five new regional development boards for tourism. As the Deputy is aware, this initiative emerged from a major study of regional tourism structures undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers at Fáilte Ireland's request and supplemented by the work of a small independent group, chaired by Mr. John Travers. The PWC report highlighted the need for a much wider brief for regional tourism, with more emphasis on its strategic rather than administrative role and contributing more directly to national policy. It recommended a greatly increased emphasis on targeted marketing, product development and enterprise support and suggested establishing an integrated linkage between regional tourism strategy and national policy and exploiting avenues to leverage increased resources. I am confident the new regional tourism arrangements, with enhanced functions being put in place at local level, will enable tourism to grow in the regions to a greater extent than at present.

In the case of four tourism regions, namely, the south-east, south-west, west and midlands-east regions, the resolutions necessary to allow the reorganisation to proceed have been passed. I have also given my consent, on foot of a request from Fáilte Ireland, to the delegation of increased functions from the authority to the four new development boards for these regions.

The position with regard to the north-west tourism region is that the regional tourism authority has adjourned its extraordinary general meeting until 19 July. I understand Fáilte Ireland is in contact with that authority.

My officials met the chief executive of Fáilte Ireland as recently as last Monday, 3 July. At that meeting Fáilte Ireland advised that it is still working towards the end of summer target as the date when the change in regional structures will be delivered. This is in line with the target I gave to the House previously.

The chairperson and chief executive of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation conveyed the full support of the industry for this initiative when I met them earlier this week.

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