Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 29: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on new or additional policies being pursued by the Government in order to assist the promotion of the mid west region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31455/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The promotion of tourism to the Regions is a day-to-day function of the Tourism Agencies and I have no official responsibility in this regard. The Programme for Government provides a commitment to help the region concerned to "Seize the opportunities presented by the Open Skies arrangement with the US to substantially grow the number of US visitors".

Subject to Government approval, I would hope that the forthcoming Budget will provide me with the resources to help the Tourism Agencies deliver on that policy commitment through a special initiative in the coming year.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 30: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the steps he is taking to promote tourism in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30786/07]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 40: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the plans he has to improve the regional balance of inbound tourists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30787/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 40 together.

As I advised the Deputy on 25 October last, under the National Tourism Development Authority Act 2003, the individual actions and measures relating to tourism promotion or development at regional level are day-to-day functions of the State tourism agencies, as is the promotion of individual product segments such as rural tourism.

The Government has taken a number of steps to support the agencies in that regard. During 2007 the Government provided a 13% increase in the tourism budget compared to 2006, bringing the allocation to €159 million, the largest ever Exchequer budget for Irish tourism. More recently, a pre-budget estimate of almost €164 million was announced for 2008, an increase of 3%.

The National Development Plan 2007-2013 Transforming Ireland includes the largest ever Government investment programme for the development of Irish tourism. This tourism development programme, which provides for an €800 million Exchequer investment in tourism over the seven year period, has as one of its fundamental objectives the stimulation of regional development. The programme includes an international marketing sub-programme, which provides €335 million to promote the island of Ireland in key international markets. The key objective over the seven years will be to increase tourism revenue and visitor yield and to help achieve a wider regional and seasonal distribution of business.

It includes a product development and infrastructure sub-programme, which provides €317 million to upgrade and supplement our tourism attractions and activities and to deliver a national conference centre in Dublin. It also includes a training and human resource development sub-programme, which will invest €148 million in the education and training of the tourism workforce, both domestic and non-national, as well as sustaining structured educational opportunities in third level colleges and institutes of technology around the country. It will also provide for the continuation of initiatives aimed at improving management capability and networking in SMEs and micro-enterprises at regional level.