John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

The National Development Plan 2007-2013, Transforming Ireland, includes the largest-ever Government investment programme for the development of tourism. This tourism development programme, which provides for an €800 million Exchequer investment over the next seven years, has as one of its fundamental objectives the stimulation of regional development. The programme includes an international marketing sub-programme, which provides €335 million to promote the island of Ireland in key international markets. The key objective over the seven years will be to increase tourism revenue and visitor yield and to help achieve a wider regional and seasonal distribution of business. It also includes a product development and infrastructure sub-programme, which provides €317 million to upgrade and supplement our tourism attractions and activities and to deliver a national conference centre in Dublin.

Earlier today, I launched Fáilte Ireland's tourism product development strategy for the period 2007 to 2013. That strategy clearly sets out what must be done to ensure the Irish tourism product is relevant and fit for purpose in today's changing marketplace. It also identifies the bodies and agencies that are in the best position to deliver the necessary results. In rolling out programmes and initiatives under the strategy, special regard will be paid to the need for integrated regional development.

A training and human resource development sub-programme is also part of the plan, which will invest €148 million in the education and training of the tourism workforce, both domestic and non-national, as well as sustaining structured educational opportunities in the third level colleges and institutes of technology around the country. It will also provide for the continuation of initiatives aimed at improving management capability and networking in SMEs and micro-enterprises at regional level.

In addition to direct investment through the tourism development programme, the new NDP includes a range of complementary programmes that will greatly benefit the future development of tourism. These relate not only to the major planned capital investment in transport, energy and environmental services but also to the proposed investment of over €900 million in culture infrastructure and €990 million in sport infrastructure under my Department's Vote.

Many more opportunities for investment in tourism will arise under the new NDP, many of which will have a strong regional and rural dimension. It will be important, therefore, for developers of tourism attractions to tap into these other sources of funding. These areas include, to mention but a few, the proposed new gateway innovation fund, the programme of investment in North/South co-operation, the rural social and economic development programme, the Gaeltacht and islands development programme, the built and natural heritage sub-programmes, the waterways sub-programme and the urban and village renewal fund.

As Deputies will be aware, last year I announced the appointment of the chairs of the five new regional tourism development boards. These boards are now in place and their key objective is to ensure a greater focus on the individual needs of each region at a national level, and direct involvement for the regions in the development of national policy and tourism strategy. These new regional tourism structures will be an important resource available to the various spending agencies in optimising the tourism benefits of their investment under the national development plan, thereby adding to the social and economic impact locally of such spending.

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