Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this Topical Issue. Many of his points on the national issue have already been identified by us in the Department since the Government changeover. He is right that the Fáilte Ireland branding has been very successful. Since coming to the Department, I have instructed departmental officials and Fáilte Ireland that there is a corridor down the middle of the country from Cavan, Monaghan and east Donegal right down to north County Cork, which I believe is a priority area. I believe that priority needs to be addressed through the local authorities in conjunction with Leader companies through the Department of rural development.

The Deputy will be aware that under local government legislation introduced in the previous Dáil, county CEOs now have an economic development role, part of which is tourism promotion. Unfortunately, some county CEOs have not been as proactive as they might have been in tourism development. Regarding the bigger issue the Deputy mentioned, I have already asked departmental officials to ensure that county CEOs outline what they are doing to promote tourism.

As the Deputy will know from his time in the Department, the role of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport relating to tourism lies primarily in the area of national policy. The Department is not directly involved in the development or management of individual tourism projects. These are operational matters for Fáilte Ireland.

The Lough Derg marketing group is the stakeholder representative group tasked with developing Lough Derg as a key destination for water-based activities combined with a range of high-quality walking, cycling, heritage, culture and food experiences. I speak from experience; the Deputy will know that I spent some of my life in Nenagh. This is being achieved through joint co-operation of all tourism stakeholders in the development and marketing of their area under the lakelands-Lough Derg identity.

The group's document, Roadmap for Experience Development and Destination Marketing 2014-2017, which was launched in March 2014, includes five key objectives for which action plans have been prepared. They are the improvement of orientation by implementing the Lough Derg signage strategy; the improvement of lakeside experiences; the development of tourism products; the raising of awareness of the destination through marketing; and the engagement with and support of tourism businesses.

As the Deputy said, in 2014 the Government allocated €2 million in stimulus funding to the Lough Derg project. The disbursement of this funding is co­ordinated by Fáilte Ireland. The €2 million was intended to kick-start the implementation of the overall Lough Derg strategy through attracting investment into the Lough Derg lakelands and the individual projects I mentioned. In regard to further development, it is a matter for the Lough Derg marketing group to source additional funding.

I am pleased to say there has been significant progress across the 15 individual projects falling under the Lough Derg stimulus fund. A total of nine of these projects have been completed and the Member will probably be aware of most of them. Of the remaining six projects, four are due to be completed by July 2016. These are the Holy Island management plan; the refurbishment of the Castle Marina; the placement of angling stands at Mota Quay; and the second phase of the Lough Derg signage strategy. The final two projects are due for completion by the end of September and the end of November. These projects are, respectively, an interpretation panel and improved access to the Millennium Cross; and development of the Lough Derg canoe trail. In addition to the stimulus fund provided by the Department, the agencies on the group have invested heavily in Lough Derg to support the actions in the strategy. The Deputy will be aware of the agencies involved.

I understand that in order to continue to develop the Lough Derg lakelands, the agency stakeholders on the group make an annual contribution to the group. The Lough Derg marketing group has demonstrated an understanding of the potential of Lough Derg, and the strategy has provided the vision to develop the destination brand and visitor experience. The stakeholders have shown a commitment to the sustainable development of the region. I am pleased to say that, to date, the implementation of the strategy has been very successful and is approximately 75% complete. The Department has played a significant role in stimulating investment in Lough Derg through its capital allocation of €2 million to Fáilte Ireland, which administers the funds.

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