Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

My Department’s role in relation to tourism lies in the area of national tourism policy development. It does not have any role in the administration of tourism business support schemes including the setting of eligibility criteria. These are operational matters for Fáilte Ireland.

In 2020 Fáilte Ireland established the Ireland-based inbound agents business continuity scheme, which has provided business continuity funding of more than €10 million to a total of 97 businesses. Last year Fáilte Ireland also established the coach tourism operators business continuity scheme, which has provided business continuity funding of just over €10 million to 1,372 coach tourism businesses. In addition to these supports, phase 1 and phase 1+ of Fáilte Ireland's 2021 tourism business continuity scheme supported hop-on hop-off tourism bus tour operators, cruise hire companies and tourism boat tour operators.

Fáilte Ireland is legally precluded from providing funding to businesses in respect of tourism activity taking place outside the State. This position is set out in section 8(1)(e) of the National Tourism Development Authority Act 2003 which states that the authority, Fáilte Ireland, shall:

... support ... such enterprises and projects relating to - (i) the development of tourist traffic within or to the State, and

(ii) the development and marketing of tourist facilities and services in the State as it considers appropriate.

Accordingly, applications for funding related to tourism activity outside the State are ineligible under Fáilte Ireland's capital and business continuity schemes.

Ireland is marketed as a single destination in overseas markets. Tourism Ireland, which operates on a North-South basis, does an excellent job in promoting Ireland in overseas markets, in co-operation with both Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland. I had first-hand experience of this recently when I supported Tourism Ireland on trade missions overseas in London and the United States. This arrangement benefits the tourism sector both here and in Northern Ireland. Many tourists who come to Ireland also include Northern Ireland as part of their trip and the opposite is also true.

I am acutely conscious of the ongoing challenges faced by tourism businesses, including tour operators. Informed by the recommendations in the latest report from the recovery oversight group, and in the context of budget 2022, I am working with officials and Government colleagues to establish what further supports can be put in place for the tourism sector.

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