Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The tourism renewal group emphasised that it is essential to get costs, competitiveness and pricing right in order to compete effectively in tourism. I am glad to see many State bodies that provide services to tourists are taking this advice on board in the initiatives they are taking and in their pricing policy for 2010. For example, despite challenging financial circumstances, the Office of Public Works has announced that most seasonal OPW sites will open earlier in 2010 to coincide with Easter and that admission prices have been held at 2009 levels.

The OPW is striving to maintain the balance between conservation, preservation and tourism needs and budgetary realities but nonetheless it has secured an extension of the season at a number of important regional sites. I have no doubt my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, is instrumental in seeing to that. The Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism is working with the OPW to maximise the tourism potential of its existing portfolio of tourism sites. I welcome the fact that the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, is linked to the two Departments as it is a critical link.

In keeping with the budget announcement on discounted travel to senior citizens, Fáilte Ireland, in conjunction with Iarnród Éireann, has developed a free rail travel scheme, the golden trekker, to boost overseas visitor numbers among a strong market segment for Irish tourism. The scheme, which was launched on 16 March, provides for free mainline, commuter and DART rail tickets to all tourists to Ireland aged 66 and over and there is no restriction on nationality or country of residence. We should also acknowledge that admission to the national collections at our national cultural institutions remains free of charge, which is not the norm in many European countries.

Indeed, in 2009 the number of visitors to our cultural institutions exceeded 3 million, representing an increase on the 2008 figures. Furthermore, access to the digitised on-line 1911 census, hosted by the National Archives and which has proved so popular with the overseas diaspora and will hopefully provide a boost to genealogical tourism, is free of charge. In addition, the Department's own website, www.irishgenealogy.com which is making church records of births, marriages and deaths available on-line is also free.

Fáilte Ireland provides free information to tourists through its various websites and a regional network of tourist information offices, visitor information points, and kiosks. This includes local and national information on things to see and do, what is on and where, route planning, dining and information on accommodation. The new quarterly "Discover Ireland" publications, the festivals and events guide and the golf guide are available to tourists free of charge. The spring edition of "Discover Ireland" includes a range of discounted offers in the accommodation, visitor attractions, golf courses and food areas. A series of regional guides covering things to do and see is currently being produced and will be available free of charge through the tourist office network. A series of local town maps is also available free of charge to tourist office visitors.

Fáilte Ireland is also working with tourism businesses generally in 2010 to help them control their costs and make them more competitive. During 2009, they provided training and business supports directly to almost 3,000 individual tourism businesses and, in 2010, will be investing over €11 million in the form of direct supports and advice for tourism enterprises. Business supports are aimed at assisting key tourism businesses to increase their international customer base, better manage their cost base, improve overall performance and sustain employment levels.

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