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

As I said, the last two years have been most challenging for the tourism sector and we are facing into another demanding year with cost inflation and rising energy prices.

Many issues have been raised during this debate. I do not know if ten minutes will suffice to address them but I will attempt to do so. If I do not respond to any Deputy, I will ask my officials to follow up.

Deputies Christopher O'Sullivan and Nolan raised regional development, which is at the heart of Fáilte Ireland's remit. The organisation has created four regional brands, namely, Ireland's Hidden Heartlands, Dublin, Ireland's Ancient East and the Wild Atlantic Way. To guide medium to longer range development, I understand Fáilte Ireland aims to deliver four new regional tourism strategies in 2022. These will set out a ten-year vision and five-year action plan for each region. At a more local level, these four regional tourism strategies will be activated through a series of co-ordinated local destination and experience development plans developed by Fáilte Ireland in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders. Fáilte Ireland's focus on promoting the regions has included significant investment into brand-building through individual Keep Discovering campaigns for each of the four regional experience brands as well as media, publicity, digital channels and online sales platforms, and that will continue. Looking forward to 2023, Fáilte Ireland will continue to focus on building the regional brand. It will encourage domestic visitors to visit destinations across the country and through online booking and sales and marketing supports, it will work with the local industry.

Deputy Gannon spoke about the development of Dublin as a brand. The Dublin Regional Tourism Development Strategy 2023-27 is the roadmap for the tourism industry and all stakeholders involved in tourism in the region to navigate the current challenges and steer a course towards sustainable recovery and continued success. Over the course of this strategy, in addition to the activation of the Dublin coastal trail and the ongoing implementation of the docklands destination experience development plan, two other DEDPs will be developed, namely, the Dublin City DEDP starting in 2022 and the mountains DEDP commencing in 2023.

The night-time economy was also raised by Deputy Gannon and also Deputy Shanahan. It will continue to be supported and developed. That change is coming. Deputy Gannon asked when we will dance again and my answer is we will be dancing more often and much later into the night. That is the plan but the sector needs to be supported and that is why we got €6 million in the budget for the night-time economy and also €7 million in additional capital funding for artists' spaces and climate adaptation.

Deputy Gannon also spoke about joined-up thinking. The Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, and I hosted a meeting before the summer recess attended by officials from my Department, the Departments of Transport and Housing, Local Government and Heritage, as well as representatives from the Garda, vintners' organisations, Give Us the Night and residents' associations. There is, therefore, joined-up thinking on the development of the night-time economy.

Deputy Gould referred to the flooding in Cork. I will raise that issue with my Government colleagues and refer his suggestions on Shandon and Cork city to Fáilte Ireland for further consideration.

I agree wholeheartedly with Deputies Griffin and Dillon on the value of our greenways. Other Deputies referred to them as well.

Deputies Carey and McNamara spoke about Shannon Heritage. I am aware of the proposed transfer of properties, including Bunratty Castle, from Shannon Heritage to Clare County Council. My officials are participating in an independent group, chaired by the Department of Transport, which is examining the issue. While I am of course supportive of any initiative to enhance tourism options in the area, this is ultimately a matter for the Minister for Transport. I will be happy, as requested, to speak to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien.

Deputy Carey raised the Gathering, which made me think of the other programme for Government commitment. While the tourism sector continues to emerge from the impact of Covid, we will help with further recovery and rebuilding. The programme for Government includes a commitment to introduce a new tourism initiative to aid recovery in the sector. This initiative will seek to promote and build on the warmth of our welcome, the beauty of our landscape and the richness of our culture. I secured a €5 million allocation in the most recent budget to continue the development of the invitation initiative which provides an excellent opportunity to advance the recovery in multiple sectors that have been significantly impacted by Covid. I hope to bring proposals to the Government in the near future outlining my full ambition for the project and providing further detail on the work under way.

Deputies Nolan and Kelly raised Ireland's Hidden Heartlands. Since its launch in 2018, Fáilte Ireland has been working with the local authorities, other State agencies such as Tourism Ireland and the tourism industry to raise awareness of the new Hidden Heartlands brand and to grow the visitor economy. Tourism Ireland promotes the Hidden Heartlands directly to overseas visitors and the region now features prominently on the Ireland.comwebsite. The local authorities are key partners and Fáilte Ireland has been building partnerships with Waterways Ireland, Coillte, Bord na Móna and the Office of Public Works to optimise the tourism potential of their natural and heritage assets in a sustainable manner. Recent highlights included the launch of the tourism master plan for the Shannon, which saw €2.3 million invested by Fáilte Ireland in two new projects last year alone.

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Some €3.9 million was invested in the revamped National Famine Museum in Strokestown Park, which I had the honour to open last week.

Deputy Shanahan raised issues regarding docking. I think that is a matter for the Minister for Transport and his officials. In response to Deputy Dillon, I know Fáilte Ireland is very active in Mayo. The Deputy referred to a number of projects. Fáilte Ireland will continue to focus on their continued development. Deputy Paul Donnelly raised a specific issue which I will ask my officials to raise with Fáilte Ireland. That might be under the remit of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Deputy Tóibín raised Moore Street, which is also a matter for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, since these are heritage functions. I will raise the issues Deputy Tóibín brought up during this debate with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan. In response to Deputy Shanahan, two sites, Ardmore and Tramore, have been selected under Platforms for Growth 2. I will ask my officials to raise any issues regarding accessibility and inclusivity with Fáilte Ireland. I will ask my officials to discuss with Fáilte Ireland the issues that Deputy Mattie McGrath raised during the debate.

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae did fine promotion of the Killorglin area, Killarney and the entire region of Kerry. He was followed by Deputies Michael Collins, Christopher O'Sullivan, Danny Healy-Rae, Mattie McGrath and Carol Nolan. A plethora of fantastic promotion of Ireland was captured in the debate. Well done to the Deputies. The sentiment, as mentioned by Deputy Danny Healy-Rae, is that once visitors see what we have to offer, eat our food, meet the people, hear the music and see us dance, they will come back. That is why marketing is important. I am pleased to inform Deputy Munster that support of almost €500,000 was awarded to Louth County Council for the Drogheda destination town plan to implement an access and orientation plan. Regarding the Drogheda attraction of scale, the Ancient Destination Experience Development Plan identifies Drogheda as a key urban gateway to the ancient story of the Boyne Valley with the potential to be a tourism destination of scale. The project addresses the need for a sustainable world class visitor attraction to act as a catalyst to increase visitor footfall.

Deputy Tóibín, as well as maybe Deputies Ó Murchú and Munster, talked about the Boyne Valley too and the reimagined Boyne Valley drive. That is a catalyst project in the implementation of the Ancient Destination Experience Development Plan. It involves reviewing and reimagining the Boyne Valley drive. That project roadmap is completed and includes an action plan for delivery. Its key output is the reimagined Boyne Valley drive.

I told the Leas-Cheann Comhairle I would not get through all of the issues raised. I have noted them and we will get back to all Deputies about the numerous issues. Numerous Deputies mentioned the VAT rate. I am conscious that the reduced VAT rate has been an important element of the business supports secured for the tourism and hospitality sector in the last two years. The Government will continue to monitor tourism recovery and keep all supports, including the VAT rate, under review in that context. I am acutely aware of the incredible pressure that these businesses face.

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