Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

Under the National Tourism Development Authority Act 2003, the individual actions and measures relating to tourism promotion and development at regional level are day-to-day functions of State agencies. The Government is taking a number of steps to support the agencies in pursuing the objective of ensuring as wide as possible a spread of tourism business throughout the country.

During 2008 the Government is providing a 7% increase in the tourism budget, compared to 2007, bringing the allocation to approximately €170 million, the largest ever Exchequer budget for Irish tourism.

The National Development Plan 2007-2013, Transforming Ireland, includes the largest Government investment programme for the development of Irish tourism. This programme, which provides for an €800 million Exchequer investment in tourism over the life of the plan, has as one of its fundamental objectives the stimulation of regional development.

See this speech in context