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

Fáiltím roimh an deis labhairt leis an Seanad inniu faoi chúrsaí turasóireachta. Tá ról tábhachtach ag earnáil na turasóireachta i bhforbairt chothrom eacnamaíoch réigiúnach ar fud na hÉireann. Seachas a luach eacnamaíoch, tá ról tábhachtach ag an turasóireacht freisin i dtaobh íomhá na hÉireann a chur chun cinn thar lear, rud a thugann tuiscint dhearfach ar mhuintir na hÉireann, ar an tírdhreach agus ar an gcultúr dár gcuairteoirí. Díríonn mo Roinn féin, Fáilte Éireann agus Turasóireacht Éireann ar fhorbairt inbhuanaithe na turasóireachta ar fud na tíre ar fad agus tuigtear go maith an tábhacht ar leith a bhaineann le turasóireacht do phobail i ngach cúinne d'Éirinn, go háirithe i bpobail faoin tuath. At its pre-Covid peak in 2019, tourism was worth €9.5 billion to our economy, supporting in excess of 250,000 jobs in every corner of the country. While the following years have been challenging, we saw a strong recovery in the sector last year and it is estimated that 7 million tourists came to Ireland in 2022, a 73% recovery compared with the pre-pandemic peak. The latest figures from the CSO also show strong performance in domestic tourism last year, with Irish residents taking 13.3 million domestic overnight trips in 2022, which amounted to €2.9 billion in expenditure. This represents a 14% increase in trips and a 36.5% increase in spend from domestic tourism when compared with 2019 totals. It is clear from these figures that our tourism offering is strong and continues to be an important driver for sustainable growth and balanced regional development.

While this is all welcome news, I am acutely aware of the current challenges faced by the tourism sector. The unprecedented arrival of people fleeing war in Ukraine, combined with the high number of international protection applicants, has resulted in the largest humanitarian effort in the State's history. The national response to this challenge is underpinned by an all-of-government approach. As part of this effort, Ireland is now accommodating almost 84,000 people compared with 8,300 in February 2022. This is equivalent to the population of Galway city, and serviced accommodation within the tourism sector, primarily hotels, has been to the fore in meeting this immediate need. The Government is focused on how to continue the sustained support for Ukrainian people, including those already here, as well as those likely to be further displaced by the ongoing conflict. As part of this, the Government is agreed that a move from an emergency response to a more mainstream approach, including a reduced reliance on serviced accommodation, is appropriate.

Demand for Irish tourism, both from abroad and at home, is very strong. The sector has, supported by Government, shown great resilience in rebuilding after Covid. However, I am concerned regarding the potential downstream impacts on tourism businesses of the removal of one third of registered tourism accommodation from the tourism market. Fáilte Ireland research shows that for every €1 spent on tourism accommodation, the average overnighting tourist spends another €2.50 in the local economy on visitor attractions, tourism support services, hospitality and retail. I have raised this concern with my Cabinet colleagues and I have asked my officials and Fáilte Ireland to do further work on the matter as we approach peak season. That work will focus on emerging trends in the 2023 season, with particular focus on those parts of the country that are most affected by the loss of tourist accommodation. It will also assess what mitigation measures could be considered if the scale of the impact is sufficient to warrant this.

The State has invested heavily over the decades in helping the tourism sector to become a key employer of scale in large parts of the country and in ensuring a strong pool of tourism attractions, activity providers and related tourism businesses. While it is to be hoped that intervention and mitigation measures will not be needed, and that key tourism businesses will be able to trade successfully throughout the season, it is prudent to assess the potential impacts of tourist accommodation displacement and to consider potential measures.

I have continuously worked to support the tourism sector and in budget 2023 I secured additional funding totalling €30 million. Of this, €15 million was secured for overseas marketing of Ireland. Domestically, an additional €15 million is underpinning the delivery of a range of measures by Fáilte Ireland to support the sector, including boosting the industry’s recruitment and retention efforts and sustainable tourism initiatives.

In marketing Ireland as a holiday destination, Tourism Ireland is undertaking activity aimed at generating demand which delivers balanced regional growth, including its twinning initiative, which involves overseas markets having a particular focus on a specific region. The work of both agencies should ensure that greater regional dispersal of tourists can create opportunities for businesses and job creation in more communities and businesses in the shoulder seasons.

In budget 2023, I also secured €36.5 million to support that continued tourism product development. In this context, the recent launch of Ireland’s programme for the EU just transition fund will see the investment of €68 million in tourism in the midlands. This regenerative tourism scheme will be a driver of employment for the midlands, with the funding to be broken down under a number of headings, for example, the delivery of a strategic network of connected walking, cycling and water trails across the midlands.

Tríd is tríd, tá cuma mhaith ar a bhfuil i ndán don turasóireacht in Éirinn tar éis tréimhse an-deacair le roinnt blianta anuas. Mar sin féin, tuigim na dúshláin eile atá romhainn agus is léir go bhfuil gá le cur chuige coiteann comhbheartaithe ilpháirtithe leasmhara chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar na dúshláin sin. Is é sin an cur chuige a leanfaidh an Roinn agus mé féin.