Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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90. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the strategy his Department has to invest in and upgrade national heritage sites to make them attractive to the domestic and international tourist markets. [7797/14]

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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Does the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ring, agree that we do not have enough heritage sites to attract repeat visitors back to Ireland?

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Responsibility for policy on national heritage sites rests with the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, while the Office of Public Works is responsible for day-to-day matters, including investment, management and maintenance.

Nonetheless, my Department and the tourism agencies recognise that these sites are an important part of our tourism offering.  In that context, significant amounts of the overall funding for tourism capital investment has been allocated in recent years to projects that optimise the tourism potential of such sites.  These allocations have also included heritage sites not in the hands of the OPW, including other publicly-owned properties.

The Government's medium-term Exchequer framework for 2012 to 2016 includes provision for significant investment in tourism product development, in recognition of the contribution that capital investment in tourism can make to increasing visitor numbers in the medium term and to sustaining economic recovery. The allocation of funding to specific tourism capital investment projects is the responsibility of Fáilte Ireland, which operates the tourism capital investment programme, and final decisions in this regard are made by the Fáilte Ireland Authority.

Significant projects already funded or allocated under the programme in the area of built heritage include Derrynane House, Killarney House, King John's Castle, Russborough House, Castletown House, Garnish Island, Spike Island, Waterford Viking Triangle, the Dubline heritage mile, and the Kilkenny Medieval Mile, as well as a range of other investments. Fáilte Ireland has worked closely with the OPW, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, local authorities and other promoters in the development of these projects.

Given the level of commitments, there is little scope for any additional project approvals between now and the end of 2016, as the existing capital allocations will be required to fund these and other developments.

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for his answer.

Tourism continues to play an important role in our economy. It is our heritage and plays a role in linking the Irish diaspora with our country. That is the big attraction.

In 2011, Ireland was voted the world's favourite holiday destination by readers of Frommer's guide. Lonely Planet listed Ireland as the world's friendliest country and Cork city as one of the top ten cities in the world, and the Irish Tourist Board's website, discoverireland.com, was named the best tourist board website in the world. Will the Minister give a guarantee today that there will be a clear focus on and investment in the upgrading of national heritage sites to make them attractive to the domestic and international tourist market, and will he commit to a joined-up approach with the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Fáilte Ireland to attract tourists back to Ireland?

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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We appreciate the point, and that is why Fáilte Ireland, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, the OPW and all the agencies work together. Deputy McLellan is quite correct. We have proven the point in the past year, with a 7.2% increase in tourism. It has been phenomenal - the best increase since 2008, and from North America the best increase ever. Last year we received the most visitors from America ever and that, in itself, is an achievement. That is why Fáilte Ireland has put the investment into Derrynane House in Kerry, Garnish Island in Cork and Killarney House in Kerry.

As the Deputy will be aware, it is Fáilte Ireland that makes the decisions on this funding. I am glad to see the spread of this funding, particularly for heritage sites all over the country, because many thousands of visitors who come into this country want to get the location of these sites to visit and it is important that the OPW, Fáilte Ireland and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht work together with the State agencies to ensure that we keep this product at the top of the list.

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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A ten-year review of the Irish tourism sector in 2003 predicted that 10 million visitors would visit Ireland on an annual basis by this year. On 11 September 2011, the Department launched a wide-ranging review of Ireland's tourism policy. Views were requested by Friday, 1 November. This report is important for the future of the tourism sector. Does the Minister agree that the figure of ten million visitors can be achieved within five years if there is a supportive policy environment, a clear business strategy and appropriate investment in the tourism sector?

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Deputy McLellan is quite correct. The Minister, Deputy Varadkar, and I attended a number of public meetings throughout the country, where we met all of the stakeholders. We covered much of the country and then we held a meeting in Dublin with all the State agencies.

I am confident about this report. We had Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and State agencies doing it, but this will be the first time there will be a policy from Government. We are currently going through the submissions and I thank and compliment all who made them. No doubt there is a great interest in tourism in this country. For example, thousands turned out in the middle of winter to support us in The Gathering and hundreds turned out for the meetings we held all over the country. Even last week, it was the same with the Wild Atlantic Way. Hundreds are turning up to meetings all over the country because they are interested in tourism and know that jobs can be created.

We set a target for The Gathering and achieved it. We brought communities and local authorities with us for The Gathering. People now realise, as does the Government, the importance of retaining the 9% VAT rate. That is why we put such funding into tourism. Last year alone we created 14,500 extra jobs in the tourism sector. It is all about bringing visitor numbers into the country, thus creating badly needed jobs. We will continue to do that. When we have this report we will publish it.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Clare Daly has informed me that she has had to leave the Chamber, but will be back soon. I propose that we proceed to the next Question No. 92. I call Deputy Dooley to introduce it.