Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 36: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will make representations to the Department of Finance to introduce measures in Budget 2007 to allow VAT recovery on corporate expenditure in hotels and restaurants for conference incentive travel and meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34709/06]

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

I continue to keep in touch with the Minister for Finance on this issue which is, of course, of key interest to those involved in seeking to develop our business tourism, in particular, our conference and meetings business.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 37: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his plans to expand the tourism industry in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34829/06]

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

In December 2002, I put in place a high-level Tourism Policy Review Group to report on the state of the Irish tourism industry and to indicate future strategies for the development of a sustainable tourism industry. The Group published its Report, 'New Horizons for Irish Tourism: An Agenda for Action', in September 2003. This Report set out a comprehensive tourism development strategy, covering a 10-year period, and included a detailed and practical action plan. The Report contained ambitious targets for the industry, namely, to achieve annual figures of 10 million visitors and €6 billion in foreign revenue by 2012. The New Horizons Report forms the blueprint for tourism development up to 2012.

Following publication of the Report, I established the Tourism Action Plan Implementation Group, for a two-year period, to oversee the implementation of the 76 Recommendations in the Report. The Implementation Group, in its final Report, which was published in March of this year, reported that 63 of the 76 recommendations made in the New Horizons Report had been implemented or good progress had been made in relation to them. The Group expressed itself satisfied with the degree of progress in implementing the strategy and pointed to a number of areas where progress had been less satisfactory.

In May 2006, I appointed a successor to the Tourism Action Plan Implementation Group, for the next two years, which will continue the work of the previous Groups and will advise on the implementation of the outstanding recommendations of the New Horizons Report. It will also respond to evolving issues as they arise in the course of the development of the tourism industry in a dynamic international context.

The Government has given an unprecedented level of commitment and support for the Irish tourism industry. At over €140m, record levels of Exchequer funding have been allocated for tourism this year. The most recent figures for 2006 — to end August — show that visitor numbers are up by almost 11% on the same period in 2005. This follows on a record visitor number performance in 2005 with almost 7 million overseas visitors. These figures suggest that we are on the right path in relation to our strategy for the development of the tourism industry in Ireland.