Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 40: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the status of the Tourism Policy Review Group; the number of the recommendations which were contained in its report, New Horizons for Irish Tourism, that have not been implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28299/05]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I appointed the Tourism Policy Review Group, under the chairmanship of Mr. John Travers, in December 2002, with a mandate to review Irish tourism performance and prospects and to identify a strategy for future sustainable development of the sector. The group concluded its task with the presentation of its report to me, New Horizons for Irish Tourism, An Agenda for Action, in September 2003.

To give best effect to the implementation of the tourism action plan recommended by the review group, I established an implementation group, again with Mr. Travers as the chairperson. This group has already presented two formal reports to me, in August 2004 and April 2005 and I expect to receive a third report at the end of the year. The reports are available on my Department's website, www.arts-sport-tourism.gov.ie.

I gave the implementation group a brief with a specific timescale, to the end of 2005, to drive forward the two-year action plan recommended in the New Horizons document. I believe that this group should see out the task assigned to it and, in the context of its third report, consider all options for the continued effective delivery of the strategy for tourism.

The implementation group has identified seven issues as representing the most serious impediments to the development of Irish tourism; concerns about competitiveness and value for money, slow progress on the Ireland-US aviation arrangements, the need for additional pier and terminal facilities at Dublin Airport, changing consumer and market trends and associated loss in share of the British outbound market, the absence of a national conference centre in Dublin, uncertainty about access to the countryside and significant gaps in Dublin's cultural infrastructure. The group is monitoring these issues very closely, as it considers that progress in resolving barriers is essential if the ambitious targets set by the review group are to be achieved.

As regards the implementation of the tourism action plan, I refer the Deputy to the April 2005 report of the implementation group and, in particular, to page 2 where it states:

Overall, the implementation group is satisfied that the strategy for the development of Irish tourism set out in the New Horizons report is being well advanced both by the industry itself and by Government. A preliminary analysis of the progress reported in relation to the original 76 recommendations by the review group has found that by the end of March 2005, 28 actions have been delivered, seven more have been partially delivered and good progress was reported on a further 19 and that the pace of progress is unsatisfactory in the case of some 20 actions.

I look forward to receiving the group's next report.