Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister with responsibility for tourism, Deputy Eamon Ryan, for taking the time to take this important debate. We are here today to discuss Shannon Heritage. It is part of the Shannon Group. We held a meeting with representatives of the Shannon Group in early June. They gave a commitment that they would look to apply for funding to Government to ensure that the Shannon Heritage sites, including King John's Castle in my constituency, could be opened year round. Currently, they are due for closure on 31 August and many of the other sites are not open at present.

There are 350 people employed at peak season and 145 of these are in place year round. We are calling on the Minister to look at the submission. We have already met the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, today as well as officials in the Department to discuss funding and the temporary wage subsidy scheme in particular. It is more than likely the scheme will be extended and this will be included in the costings. We need to get this open throughout the year. It is crucial for Shannon Heritage sites in the region.

I also wish to raise the aviation task force report. Will the Minister put funding in place for route supports out of Shannon Airport, Cork Airport and other airports in the area? This is specifically mentioned on page 6 of the report.

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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This is a major issue. I congratulate the Minister on his appointment as Minister with responsibility for tourism. Deputy O'Donnell and I met officials in the Department today along with the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton. The Shannon Group has made a submission to Government for supports to keep these vital heritage sites open. We are talking about Bunratty Castle, Knappogue Castle, Craggaunowen, Dunguaire Castle and King John's Castle. These attractions bring people to County Clare and the mid-west. It is crazy and ridiculous that the Shannon Group would close these sites, especially when we are pushing the whole idea of staycations. There is a major opportunity. We simply need to embrace and support it. I appeal to the Minister to do precisely that.

I also support the need for the Minister to back the recommendations of the aviation task force for Shannon. We should use the stimulus package for route development and support for capital development works. We need to get the airport up and running again.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for taking this Topical Issue matter. The July stimulus package to be announced shortly will, I assume, focus on revitalising our economy, especially the rural economy. The rural economy in the west along the Wild Atlantic Way is highly reliant on the tourism sector.

This year we are, rightly, encouraging our people to stay at home. We are focused on supporting tourism across the nation. To have these iconic heritage sites not available to tourists would be a seriously retrograde step in trying to encourage this type of tourism.

I ask that the Minister, the Department and the Government support Shannon Heritage in ensuring that these iconic sights along the Wild Atlantic Way remain open for the rest of the year to help in revitalising the economy of the west of Ireland.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I am responding to the Deputies on this matter because the formal transfer of tourism functions to my colleague the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Catherine Martin, has yet to be completed.

Shannon Heritage is part of the Shannon Group, which operates in the aviation and tourism sectors. In addition to the dramatic fall-off in passengers at Shannon Airport, the closure and restricted openings of some Shannon Heritage sites means that the impact on the group has been particularly severe.

I am acutely aware that tourism is one of the most directly affected sectors in the current crisis. The impact of Covid-19 on tourism globally has been overwhelming and immediate, with unprecedented consequences for Ireland's tourism and hospitality sector. Since last February, officials in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport have engaged with industry bodies with a view to understanding the challenges facing the sector. The Department established a Covid-19 tourism monitoring group made up of industry stakeholders, the tourism agencies and Department officials to monitor the disruption to the sector and assist in formulating the its response to the crisis. My Department has also liaised with other Departments and industry representative bodies to align the economy-wide Covid-19 supports and initiatives with tourism and hospitality needs. The Government will continue to explore the funding potential for all enterprises, including tourism businesses such as Shannon Heritage, as it works through the challenges facing them, including through any mechanisms allowable through the EU state aid framework.

The programme for Government contains a commitment that the Government will publish a series of immediate actions to support the economy through the July stimulus. In this context, the Government will, among other things, consider further additional measures that may be need to support the tourism and hospitality sector. A tourism recovery task force was established on 20 May 2020 to prepare a tourism recovery plan that will include a set of recommendations on how best the Irish tourism sector can adapt and recover in the changed tourism environment. The plan will identify priority aims, key enablers and market opportunities for the period 2020 to 2023.

On 25 June the task force published an initial report recommending a number of measures it had identified that will help to save jobs and businesses across the tourism sector from now to the end of 2020. The task force has already undertaken a widespread stakeholder consultation process whereby all sectors and interested parties could provide constructive inputs and innovative ideas on how this vital sector of our economy can adapt and recover in a meaningful and substantial way. As I understand it, the task force will continue to engage with stakeholders as it seeks to finalise its work over the coming months.

Fáilte Ireland has developed and rolled out a suite of training and advisory supports for tourism businesses to enable them to respond to the challenges and threats now being faced in the sector. It has also set up a Covid-19 industry advisory group which meets fortnightly. The purpose of this group is to provide support to the tourism industry and facilitate the rapid sharing of information and insight to help improve the sector's understanding of and response to the crisis.

To assist tourism businesses reopening in line with the Government's Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, Fáilte Ireland has published guidelines for the sector, prepared in consultation with the industry and relevant authorities. These guidelines are intended to assist businesses in meeting the requirements of the return to work safety protocol and are based on the latest health advice. Fáilte Ireland also unveiled its new national domestic marketing campaign, Ireland, make a break for it, to the tourism and hospitality sector industry recently. This campaign involves a major drive to encourage people to take domestic breaks this summer. It has also launched a new Covid-19 safety charter initiative designed to boost public confidence in the safety of businesses as the sector reopens.

I am aware of the devastating effect of Covid-19 on the aviation industry and the Shannon Group in particular. I propose to undertake a thorough examination of the future viability and sustainability of the group and I will consider restructuring measures, financial supports and any other measures that may be necessary and appropriate as part of a wider review of the Shannon Group. I will bring recommendations on this matter to Government in due course. I understand that the Minister of State, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, met local representatives today regarding Shannon Heritage.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister. The Shannon Group is under his direct responsibility. The submission made by it referred to the cost of keeping Shannon Heritage open for a year. We understand that the gross figure is approximately €4 million. Given that the temporary wage subsidy scheme will be extended under the July stimulus, that figure will now be considerably less. We welcome the fact that the Minister is examining the future viability and the restructuring of the Shannon Group. That may involve Shannon Heritage moving to the Office of Public Works, OPW, or individual local authorities. The Shannon Group needs cash to ensure that Shannon Heritage can remain open. Will the Minister give a commitment that he will examine the proposal that was submitted in order that Shannon Heritage can remain open? It is a vital component of the tourism offering in the mid-west.

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Fáilte Ireland stated that it is trying to encourage people to holiday here with its Ireland, make a break for it campaign. We are trying to encourage tourism in Ireland this year, in particular. That Bunratty and other sites will be closed at a time when we are encouraging people to stay in Ireland cannot be allowed to happen.

We are reaching out to the Minister to ask him to consider and fund the proposal put forward by the Shannon Group. The temporary wage subsidy scheme will provide a significant amount of the money required. We ask the Minister to support the submission made by the Shannon Group. I understand that Shannon Heritage could be brought under the auspices of the OPW or the relevant local authorities.

I welcome the Minister's commitment to a review of the Shannon Group and to inject the money that is needed to keep the airport going. We need state aid now, and we need the Minister to roll up his sleeves in the interests of the mid-west and Shannon Airport.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Along with my colleagues, I ask the Minister to seriously consider the funding submission made by Shannon Heritage on keeping crucial sites open. The establishment of the tourism recovery task force acknowledges that it is a critically important part of the economy. I am of the view that the temporary wage subsidy scheme is destined to be extended for a number of months. I hope that, along with a minimal investment by the Department, would allow these sites to remain open for the foreseeable future.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I thank the Deputies. They are right. Not only does the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Catherine Martin, have an interest in this, I and the Minister of State, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, are very aware that the Shannon Group as a whole is in real difficulty, along with the rest of the aviation and tourism sector. I will commit to examining the proposal from the Shannon Group. The Deputies made the point that the indicative cost may include the cost of the wage subsidy scheme, which the State is already covering, and to consider that in particular. As they have suggested, down the line there may be other options involving the OPW or local authorities.

In terms of the immediate issue in Clare and Limerick, I have heard what Deputies said about the particular importance of these sites to the wider tourism industry. As I understand the matter, it is true that the numbers are still very low. The number of overseas visitors is next to nil. I have heard that the domestic numbers are still a fraction of what they were in previous years. We have a particular problem. I encourage our people to visit the fantastic facilities in the region, but that on its own will not be enough. We will have to intervene with the Shannon Group because it is suffering more than any other organisation due to the loss of flights and the effective shutdown of the overseas tourism industry. We have to manage that the situation and I will commit to keeping the Deputies present and other local Deputies informed about what is happening. I will always have an open door in the context of hearing their views on the best approach for us to take. I cannot commit to anything here, but it is very useful to have had this debate.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is the Minister taking the next matter?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I am.