Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas le baill an tSeanaid agus an chuireadh a bheith ina dteannta. The National Tourism Development Authority (Amendment) Bill 2022 provides the basis to enable the continued provision of capital funding to the National Tourism Development authority, Fáilte Ireland, for the purpose of supporting tourism product development and the tourism industrySection 24(1) of the National Tourism Development Act 2003 gives the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the power to advance moneys provided by the Oireachtas to Fáilte Ireland. Section 24(2) limits the amount of money that can be advanced by the Minister to Fáilte Ireland for capital expenditure. Assuming the allocated funding in 2022 is drawn down by Fáilte Ireland, the current limit of €300 million will be reached close to the end of 2022. No further voted capital funding can then be advanced to Fáilte Ireland. Accordingly, I am bringing this Bill to the Houses of the Oireachtas to provide for the new spending limit of €500 million.

Before giving further details of the Bill, I pay tribute to those who form part of the tourism ecosystem and make an important contribution to Ireland's overall economic performance. I particularly recognise the way in which the tourism industry reaches across the country and its importance for the regional economy. The contribution of tourism is not confined to directly generated employment, economic activity and exports. The sector has an important multiplier effect on other employment sectors such as agriculture, transport, retail, food and beverage, which are particularly important to regional economies. Apart from its economic value, tourism also plays an important role in promoting Ireland's image abroad and generating a positive impression of Irish people, our landscape and culture for visitors.

Recent years have been challenging but I am confident that with all of those engaged with Irish tourism working together with the relevant agencies, Ministers and the Government, we can ensure the quality and competitiveness of the Irish tourist offering is continually improved and that the industry generates increased earnings and more jobs as part of our economic recovery. As with all industry, it is important that the tourism sector keeps innovating and developing in order to keep Ireland in the minds of potential travellers. In that regard, we know how important it is that brilliant visitor experiences, attractions and activities are available to visitors both international and domestic. As a significant proportion of tourists are drawn to attractions and participative experiences that bring local culture and heritage to life, Fáilte Ireland offers a range of supports to help tourism providers across the country to maximise their individual and collective offering in a way that attracts and engages tourists and enhances their overall experience.

Ireland's tourism sector provides a wealth of opportunities for great offerings for visitors. In order to enhance those opportunities from a strategic perspective, Fáilte Ireland, broadly speaking, has four main funding channels for its capital investment in tourism product development. These are the large grants schemes provided under the platforms for growth approach, the small grants schemes, which are targeted schemes usually aligned with the tourism experience brands, strategic partnerships and other collaborations, and direct investment in experience brand infrastructure. In addition, part of Fáilte Ireland's capital funding programme uses platforms for growth to drive development in specific areas. The first platform for growth was launched in May 2019 and focused on developing immersive heritage and cultural attractions. These are attractions that appeal to overseas visitors looking for experiences that help them to connect with Ireland and bring the country's culture, heritage and people to life. Through this platform, Fáilte Ireland aims to ensure strong growth in development by investing in heritage and cultural attractions of scale that will motivate visitors to travel, either to and-or within Ireland, but without displacing the existing attractions of a destination or disturbing the competitiveness already attached to mature destinations. The overall objective is to deliver brilliant experiences that allow visitors to connect with Ireland and bring the national and local culture, heritage and people to life, while also delivering a greater regional and seasonal spread of tourism.

In April last year, €19 million worth of investment was announced for the second platforms for growth strategy, to be used to develop world-class facility centres at 20 locations across the country at which water-based activities are a key visitor attraction. This includes locations such as Tipperary, Sligo and Leitrim, to name but a few. These facilities, designed to serve as a hub in each locality from which multiple water sports operators can base themselves, will provide hot showers, changing and toilet facilities, secure storage, induction spaces, equipment wash-down and orientation points. They will be fully wheelchair accessible and built using sustainability best practice such as solar heating panels. This sustainable tourism investment scheme was developed in partnership between Fáilte Ireland and local authorities.

In addition to funding provided under the platforms for growth approach to large grants schemes, Fáilte Ireland also provides further capital supports to tourism attractions and experiences in Ireland through other channels, including small grants schemes, strategic partnerships with other State bodies and some direct investments. The strategic partnerships include entities such as Waterways Ireland, the Office of Public Works and the Department of Rural and Community Development. Fáilte Ireland supports a wide range of projects. This year alone, these have included projects in the Céide Fields in Mayo, the Blasket Islands in Kerry, Knowth in Meath and the National Famine Museum in Strokestown. From a tourism perspective, Fáilte Ireland's investment of €3.9 million is one of the largest ever investments in a visitor attraction in Ireland's Hidden Heartlands.

There is a knock-on impact on the local economy both in terms of employment in attractions such as the National Famine Museum in Roscommon and in the wider tourism sector and economy. Fáilte Ireland's capital investment in tourism product development is further enhanced by complementary programme supports, including for festivals and events, business supports and training, and marketing and promotions, which are aimed at enhancing, animating and promoting the overall visitor experience. The intention is to optimise key assets for the benefit of tourism and sustainable tourism development through increasing the geographic spread of visitors.

My Department has initiated the development of a new national sustainable tourism policy that seeks to mainstream sustainability. The development of this new policy will involve extensive consultation with the tourism industry and our communities to help set out a path for the coming years to support a sustainable recovery and subsequent growth in the sector. The policy will seek to support sustainable development in communities throughout the country, while protecting our environment and natural resources and encouraging a greater spread of demand across the year.

I will now deal with the purpose of the Bill. The National Tourism Development Authority Act was passed in 2003 to dissolve Bord Fáilte Éireann and CERT Limited and establish the National Tourism Development Authority, Fáilte Ireland. Section 24(1) of the Act gives the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the power to advance, out of money provided by the Oireachtas, such sums as the Minister may determine. Section 24(2) limits the total amount of money that can be advanced by the Minister to Fáilte Ireland as capital expenditure on projects or enterprises. However, annual funding allocations are made in the normal way through the Estimates and budgetary process. This limit on total capital funding was originally set at €65 million but was later increased to €150 million and then €300 million under the National Tourism Development Authority (Amendment) Acts 2011 and 2016.

Taking into account the 2022 capital allocation to Fáilte Ireland, investment in tourism capital projects is now approaching that limit. Once the spending limit has been reached, no further voted capital moneys may be advanced to Fáilte Ireland for tourism capital investment projects. Accordingly, it is now prudent to legislate for an increase in the limit. Is trí eispéiris agus áiteanna turasóireachta a fhorbairt gur féidir linn tairbhe a bhaint as an bhfás domhanda sa turasóireacht agus a chinntiú go bhfaigheann Éire, agus gach réigiún di, a sciar de na buntáistí a chuireann turasóireacht ar fáil go sóisialta agus go heacnamaíoch. Déantar na tairiscintí seo a phacáistiú agus a chur chun cinn faoinár mbrandaí eispéireas turasóireachta den chéad scoth chun a chinntiú go seasann Éire amach sa mhargadh idirnáisiúnta. Cuirfidh an Bille seo ar chumas an fhorbairt seo leanúint ar aghaidh. I am introducing this Bill to make the necessary legislative change and I commend it to the House.