Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 37 together.

This year was always going to be a challenging one for tourism, made even more difficult in recent weeks by the travel disruption due to volcanic ash. Based on Central Statistics Office surveys, the number of overseas visits to Ireland fell by 11.6% between 2008 and 2009. However, these figures must be seen in the context of a decline in tourist numbers internationally. Tourism worldwide was deeply affected by global economic difficulties and loss of consumer confidence, with Ireland particularly hit by exchange rate challenges. With exceptional weather conditions in the first two months of this year affecting Ireland and most of our overseas markets, the number of visits to Ireland fell by 25% from 2009 figures. While CSO figures are not yet available for the period since the volcanic ash episode commenced, there is little doubt that there was a considerable impact on overseas visits to Ireland. Initial figures from the Irish Aviation Authority indicate total traffic at Dublin Airport in April 2010 reduced by 26.8% on 2009.

In regard to the air travel tax, Ireland continues to face significant fiscal challenges and this tax is regarded by the Minister for Finance as an important revenue-raising measure.

Turning to the impact of volcanic ash, the Government's overall response is led by the Government task force on emergency planning. The task force, which is meeting on a regular basis, is chaired by the Department of Transport and includes all the key players such as the Irish Aviation Authority, Met Éireann, Departments, including the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport, consumer and regulatory agencies, and health and environment bodies. In parallel, Tourism Ireland convened the tourism industry response group which is the main tourism forum for the various key players to communicate and co-ordinate their responses to events such as this and this group will continue to meet as and when required.

For my part, last week I met representatives of tourism industry groups, as well as the tourism agencies, to discuss responses to the continuing challenges. Subsequently I announced that Fáilte Ireland would work with the industry to draw up a customer care charter addressing issues such as cancellations, pricing, information and quality of services for all tourists affected by delayed travel plans due to volcanic ash. This charter builds on the positive approach of the industry in recent weeks in dealing with customers facing travel disruption and will help to reassure and improve confidence for both tourism enterprises and potential tourists. At the heart of the latest challenge we face is confidence and the charter will play a key role in that respect.

The charter has now been finalised and was issued by Fáilte Ireland last week to all accommodation providers on its database. Fáilte Ireland's regional offices will be also promoting the charter to local and sectoral contacts in their regions and Tourism Ireland will be promoting it internationally.

Despite these difficulties, it is essential to remember that millions of people across the world will still take holidays this year. I know that the industry and the tourism agencies are fighting hard for every bit of this business. On 6 May, I launched a €20 million summer marketing campaign on behalf of Tourism Ireland. This initiative will build on Tourism Ireland's marketing effort earlier in the year and is designed to win as much business as possible for the peak season. This unprecedented drive in key markets in Great Britain, the United States, Germany and France aims to create the conditions for recovery later this year. The new marketing drive was developed in conjunction with hundreds of tourism industry partners, including hotels, bed and breakfasts, self-catering, cultural institutions, golf courses, visitor attractions as well as air and sea carriers, which have got behind the campaign with a range of value-for-money offers.

The tourism agencies are taking every opportunity to remind potential visitors that Ireland is accessible and open for business – and will continue to be – by air, sea and through Great Britain. Arising from last week's meeting, Tourism Ireland has also committed additional investment in marketing to strengthen its partnership with tour operators overseas.

In addition to our continuing marketing drive in key overseas markets, Fáilte Ireland is working with the industry to engage the Irish holidaymaker with attractive and accessible offers highlighting the value and quality available within Ireland, and I expect Fáilte Ireland will be targeting this in the weeks ahead. Fáilte Ireland is also supporting tourism enterprises through a range of programmes, at a cost of €11 million, addressing such issues as cost control, use of e-platforms and human resource development.

Ireland's tourism sector has proven its resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity in the past. Most recently, whereas operators elsewhere were criticised for appearing to exploit travel delays as a result of the ash plume, Ireland's tourist industry was praised for its rapid and sensitive response to the crisis. I am confident that the co-ordinated approach I have outlined will ensure a positive outcome. I look forward to ongoing engagement with the industry and the tourism agencies to ensure that every support is in place to allow the tourism industry to return to growth in the near term.

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