Dáil debates

Thursday, 26 January 2006

Priority Questions.

Tourism Promotion.

3:00 pm

Photo of Jimmy DeenihanJimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 1: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his Department's and the Government's plans to promote Irish tourism during the Ryder Cup; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2550/06]

Photo of John O'DonoghueJohn O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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The hosting of the Ryder Cup at the K Club in September is a key event for Irish tourism this year. While the event itself will undoubtedly contribute significantly to overseas tourism revenues in 2006, the principal benefits of the agreement between Ireland and the European tour will flow from the promotional package that is part of the agreement and which has extended in the nine years since the agreement was signed. In this context, the Government has made a significant level of resources available to Fáilte Ireland to ensure the tourism spin-off to Ireland, and to golfing tourism in particular, is maximised. This has involved one of the most intensive and sustained tourism event promotion programmes ever undertaken and this year's event will be an exciting and spectacular culmination to this promotional campaign.

This programme is not only about promoting Ireland as a premium golf destination. The media coverage of this major sporting event presents a unique opportunity to market all that Ireland has to offer as a tourism destination. To that end, both Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland have been working closely together over the last number of years in the lead up to the event to optimise the promotional spin-off and this work will intensify over the course of this year.

For example, Tourism Ireland's network of overseas market offices are being deployed to maximise the positive publicity which the television coverage, with an expected audience of over 1 billion in 150 countries, will generate. Working with the Ryder Cup team in Fáilte Ireland, an unprecedented level of promotional activity has been organised around the staging of the competition. In all our key markets, dedicated budget lines have been allocated to Ryder Cup related activities, including print advertising, direct mail campaigns and consumer promotions at key golfing events in the lead-up to the event.

In regard to golf tourism specifically, Fáilte Ireland has used the Ryder Cup as a central plank of its golf marketing activity since 1999. For instance, Ireland has taken advantage of the golf events supported as part of the Ryder Cup deal to showcase the best of Irish golf across our key markets. Many of our overseas visitors cite televised coverage of the Irish Open, European Open or Irish Seniors Open as their first exposure to Irish golf. Furthermore, Fáilte Ireland's marketing team has attended key golf tournaments across all key markets to showcase the best of Irish golf, be it links or parkland. This year the team, in conjunction with the various regional tourism authorities, will take promotional stands at 13 of the Ryder Cup qualifying events.

In addition, Fáilte Ireland has put in place arrangements that will allow the marketing team to piggyback other tourism products on the back of the exposure being secured around the Ryder Cup. They will be placing multi-product destination advertisements rather than solely golf material television advertising around all key golf events in 2006, including the Ryder Cup.

Photo of Jimmy DeenihanJimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister ensure that the Ryder Cup will be free-to-air for Irish viewers? I understand the promoters have reached an agreement with Sky television whereby the latter will have the sole rights to broadcast the competition. RTE, meanwhile, can show only delayed highlights. This is simply not good enough for the vast majority of Irish golf enthusiasts, including many young people. Only one in four households avail of Sky's services and there may be major expense for a significant number of golf enthusiasts in securing access to live broadcasts.

Will the Minister give a commitment on behalf of the Government in this regard? I understand the consultation period has finished. The Minister has made some hard statements on behalf of viewers. Will he confirm that RTE viewers will enjoy this historical competition, the third largest sporting event in the world, free-to-air?

Photo of John O'DonoghueJohn O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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As the House is aware, all broadcasting matters, including the broadcasting of major events, are governed by the Broadcasting (Major Events Television Coverage) Act 1999 and the associated Designation of Major Events Order 2003, which fall under the remit of the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey. In this regard, I understand the Minister recently announced his intention to conduct a review of the list of events designated as of major importance to society, for which the right of the qualifying broadcaster to provide coverage on a free television service should be provided in the public interest.

In inviting submissions from interested parties and members of the public on the designated events and the possible designation of additional events, the Minister also announced his intention to consider the possible designation of the 2006 Ryder Cup in the course of the review. It would be inappropriate for me to offer comment on this issue until that review is completed. I appreciate there will undoubtedly be interest among golf fans and other members of the public in seeing the Ryder Cup matches live on terrestrial television. However, the television audience that is my priority from a tourist perspective, and the focus of our investment in securing the event, is the worldwide television audience of 1 billion in 150 countries to whom the Ryder Cup will be broadcast, thereby giving our tourism agencies an unprecedented opportunity to showcase the island of Ireland.

Photo of Jimmy DeenihanJimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Did the Minister make a submission from his Department declaring his support for having this event free-to-air for the Irish audience? He has taken similar actions in the past in regard to the effect of section 481 on the film industry. Does the Minister have information on the position of RTE, which I understand made a submission? What is its view on the prospect of providing only delayed transmission of the highlights of this event?

Photo of John O'DonoghueJohn O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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My understanding is that the closing date for receipt of submissions to the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, is 27 January. I am not privy to information on the source or contents of these submissions. I have said it would be inappropriate for me to comment on this matter, pending a review of the submissions by the Minister. I confirm, however, that I have been in contact with him on this issue.