Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 37: To ask the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport his plans to ensure that recently closed air routes to Ireland are reopened and that new routes are opened, in order to increase potential and actual visitor numbers in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13702/11]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 38: To ask the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport if there is any details of projected return in tourism or spending by visitors to Ireland precipitated by the suspension of the airline tax in the Government's Jobs Initiative. [13680/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 38 together.

I also refer the Deputy to my response to Priority Question No.1. The market for air services in the European Union is fully liberalised so it is a matter for the airlines themselves to decide what routes they will serve based on their own commercial judgments. As detailed in my response to the priority question, the Government is encouraging the airlines to deliver more tourists to Ireland and the quid pro quo for this will be the suspension of the travel tax if the airlines demonstrate a willingness to respond positively to this initiative. Those discussions are continuing.

Restoring and enhancing international access is a key priority for tourism development in 2011. Tourism Ireland is engaging actively in co-operative marketing campaigns with air and sea carriers as well as working with Dublin Airport Authority and other airports to stimulate demand for travel to the island of Ireland from key source markets. This year, Tourism Ireland has increased the level of resources available for co-operative marketing and for case-making with airports and relevant authorities for the restoration of lost air access or the introduction of new routes.

The announcement that the air travel tax will be suspended, subject to an agreement being reached with the airlines to bring in additional passenger numbers, has been welcomed by the tourism state agencies and the tourism industry. Until agreement has been reached with the airlines, however, it is not possible to calculate the return in tourism or spending by visitors to Ireland.

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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When does the Minister expect the discussions to conclude?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I would love to know the answer to that.

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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So would I.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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They are ongoing and, following this evening's vote, I will attend the next meeting in this regard. Consultants are also assisting us with this. The Minister for Finance factored 1 July into the jobs initiative in terms of working out the numbers and the idea was to suspend the tax from that date but that is not a certainty. I expect to conclude discussions in the next few weeks because the airlines are deciding their timetables. They have two seasons - winter and summer - and they are finalising their timetables now for October and deciding which routes they will service and what capacity they will provide. The discussions will have to conclude in the next few weeks in order that they will be able to decide on routes for October.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister stated consultants were assisting him with that work. What is the nature of their work?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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They are working on the proposals put forward by the airlines. Airlines are saying they will put on a certain number of planes and bring in a certain number of tourists. The consultants are examining these offers to ascertain how genuine they are and how many tourists would travel on particular routes. Routes to the Canaries and Malta do not generate significant tourism benefits for Ireland. They are also examining the impact of these proposals on airports and airport charges.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Although I understand the necessity to validate the airlines' numbers because fact and fiction often intersperse, is the airport authority not capable of carrying out the analysis? Is it necessary to hire external professionals to carry out that work?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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It is in this case because the airlines will present one set up assumptions and figures while the airports will present another. If I am to be satisfied that the right decision will be made, we need an external assessment of the competing claims of different airlines and airport authorities.