Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am responding to the Deputies on this matter because the formal transfer of tourism functions to my colleague the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Catherine Martin, has yet to be completed.

Shannon Heritage is part of the Shannon Group, which operates in the aviation and tourism sectors. In addition to the dramatic fall-off in passengers at Shannon Airport, the closure and restricted openings of some Shannon Heritage sites means that the impact on the group has been particularly severe.

I am acutely aware that tourism is one of the most directly affected sectors in the current crisis. The impact of Covid-19 on tourism globally has been overwhelming and immediate, with unprecedented consequences for Ireland's tourism and hospitality sector. Since last February, officials in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport have engaged with industry bodies with a view to understanding the challenges facing the sector. The Department established a Covid-19 tourism monitoring group made up of industry stakeholders, the tourism agencies and Department officials to monitor the disruption to the sector and assist in formulating the its response to the crisis. My Department has also liaised with other Departments and industry representative bodies to align the economy-wide Covid-19 supports and initiatives with tourism and hospitality needs. The Government will continue to explore the funding potential for all enterprises, including tourism businesses such as Shannon Heritage, as it works through the challenges facing them, including through any mechanisms allowable through the EU state aid framework.

The programme for Government contains a commitment that the Government will publish a series of immediate actions to support the economy through the July stimulus. In this context, the Government will, among other things, consider further additional measures that may be need to support the tourism and hospitality sector. A tourism recovery task force was established on 20 May 2020 to prepare a tourism recovery plan that will include a set of recommendations on how best the Irish tourism sector can adapt and recover in the changed tourism environment. The plan will identify priority aims, key enablers and market opportunities for the period 2020 to 2023.

On 25 June the task force published an initial report recommending a number of measures it had identified that will help to save jobs and businesses across the tourism sector from now to the end of 2020. The task force has already undertaken a widespread stakeholder consultation process whereby all sectors and interested parties could provide constructive inputs and innovative ideas on how this vital sector of our economy can adapt and recover in a meaningful and substantial way. As I understand it, the task force will continue to engage with stakeholders as it seeks to finalise its work over the coming months.

Fáilte Ireland has developed and rolled out a suite of training and advisory supports for tourism businesses to enable them to respond to the challenges and threats now being faced in the sector. It has also set up a Covid-19 industry advisory group which meets fortnightly. The purpose of this group is to provide support to the tourism industry and facilitate the rapid sharing of information and insight to help improve the sector's understanding of and response to the crisis.

To assist tourism businesses reopening in line with the Government's Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, Fáilte Ireland has published guidelines for the sector, prepared in consultation with the industry and relevant authorities. These guidelines are intended to assist businesses in meeting the requirements of the return to work safety protocol and are based on the latest health advice. Fáilte Ireland also unveiled its new national domestic marketing campaign, Ireland, make a break for it, to the tourism and hospitality sector industry recently. This campaign involves a major drive to encourage people to take domestic breaks this summer. It has also launched a new Covid-19 safety charter initiative designed to boost public confidence in the safety of businesses as the sector reopens.

I am aware of the devastating effect of Covid-19 on the aviation industry and the Shannon Group in particular. I propose to undertake a thorough examination of the future viability and sustainability of the group and I will consider restructuring measures, financial supports and any other measures that may be necessary and appropriate as part of a wider review of the Shannon Group. I will bring recommendations on this matter to Government in due course. I understand that the Minister of State, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, met local representatives today regarding Shannon Heritage.

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