Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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Question 7: To ask the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport the tourism initiatives other than the Gathering that emerged form the recent Global Irish Economic Forum; and if he will provide further details on some of the initiatives he intends to pursue over the next few years as a result of the forum. [33475/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The question relates to the Global Irish Economic Forum and other initiatives, including the Gathering. Participants in the 2011 Global Irish Economic Forum discussed the Government's priorities for economic renewal, job creation and the restoration of our reputation abroad, and explored how people at home and abroad could work together to contribute to economic recovery. It was in this context that I presented proposals for the Gathering in 2013, potentially the biggest tourism initiative ever staged in Ireland.

The role tourism can play in Ireland's economic recovery was a major focus at the forum and several participants came from the travel, tourism and hospitality sector. A dedicated working group session considered the topic of "Improving our tourism product and promotion abroad - what is Ireland doing right and what further practical steps can we take to build growth in this sector?". The Minister of State, Deputy Ring, and I, with senior officials from the Department and the tourism agencies, attended these sessions and took the opportunity to meet a range of Global Irish Network members who made a number of contributions on the topic.

The formal report of the forum which includes the overall outcomes is being finalised by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and will be published shortly. It will detail the various initiatives to be pursued, including those from a tourism perspective. However, some ideas were brought forward in the working session, which have considerable merit, including the following: an actor's-film forum, which would be a "Davos-style" forum for actors and-or the film industry, was mooted and could start with the Gathering in 2013 but with the potential to become a regular event; further visa reform, whereby a number of aspects of the current visa regime were discussed in order to make Irish immigration and visa arrangements more attractive for potential visitors; and using Irish films to promote tourism - the issue of finding ways to use films as a marketing tool for tourism was highlighted, particularly in developing markets, in building on recent successes in film-making in Ireland, for example, by making titles available with subtitles in Chinese and Indian languages. My Department, as well as the tourism agencies, is working to advance these proposals.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. The Gathering has the potential to be a very significant attractor for tourism and other inward investment in the coming years. However, there is a requirement for an action plan. As with many initiatives, there are good ideas, but unless they are progressed in a very comprehensive way, based on an action plan and with somebody taking charge, they tend to wither on the vine. What new moneys have been allocated to this initiative? Has a working group been established that will report to the Minister on progress made? Will the Minister confirm that no existing programmes funded by his Department such as for small festivals and other initiatives, whether in the arts or otherwise, will lose funding as a result of the investment made in the Gathering?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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With regard to the Gathering, a chairman, Mr. Tim O'Connor, has been appointed and is in place. The next step is to appoint a board to oversee implementation, which will happen soon. There will be a voluntary council of champions and individual well known celebrities who are being approached and asked whether they will promote the project. There will also be an executive team, the members of which will come from the existing tourism bodies, including Fáilte Ireland and, I hope, Tourism Ireland. We are also hoping to receive support from other public bodies and organisations. There is also the option of using interns for the project.

It is estimated that the project will cost perhaps €13 million or €14 million over two years, but there is no separate, dedicated funding stream for it at this stage. There have been some offers of support from private companies, which could prove helpful, but I cannot give the Deputy a guarantee that it will not involve cutting back on other programmes. There will be cutbacks in the tourism budget next year. Obviously, some of the resources for the Gathering will have to be found from this. However, the Gathering is being designed in a particular way to complement what we are already doing. It is not supposed to comprise a series of new events or festivals which might flop but is instead an attempt to build on existing festivals and events and to do new things in different towns. Rather than closing a festival to provide for the Gathering, we wish to piggy-back on existing festivals.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I am disappointed that such a relatively small amount, €13 million or €14 million, to establish the Gathering cannot be found through the provsion of an additional measure. The Department has a limited amount of funding and is strapped in the support it gives to festivals and artistic endeavours within communities. The establishment and continuation of these events, as I know from the events in which I have been involved, are dependent on funding available in the current round. Anything that would inhibit these events from continuing to receive funding would have a detrimental impact on economic activity within the tourism sector. While the Gathering might ultimately do good work, I hope it will not be at the expense of existing initiatives. I appeal, therefore, to the Minister to try to find funding through whatever cost savings can be made at administration level, rather than taking money from small village groups.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate the Deputy's comments. As I said, a dedicated funding stream has not yet been identified. We certainly have not agreed the budget for next year at this stage, as we are only beginning those discussions, having finished discussions on the capital budget side. Like all spending issues, I am sure there will be a reduction in the funding available for festivals next year, although it will not be huge. In fact, because of the Gathering, it may turn out that there will be an increase because festivals with a Gathering element will be supported, or at least it is intended that they will be supported. I accept the Deputy's remarks and agree with him in principle.