Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Question 74: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if the pre-clearance facility at Shannon Airport has had an impact on the number of tourists visiting the region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13921/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Central Statistics Office provides monthly reports on the number of overseas visitors coming to Ireland, including the country of origin, but this data is not broken down according to tourism regions.

In any event, the new pre-clearance facility in Shannon is only operational since August 2009 and it would be too soon to estimate its impact on tourism numbers, in advance of its first full year of operation.

With regard to the pre-clearance facility, as an island destination, direct, convenient and competitive access services are vital for our Tourism industry and it is important, in the current challenging global climate, to help sustain strategically important capacity, routes and services.

In that context, the new pre-clearance facility at Shannon will present an opportunity to help sustain existing air services and will also, in due course, help create opportunities for new routes and services. However, as the facility is primarily of benefit in terms of passengers leaving Ireland for the US, including transit passengers, it is not directly of benefit to all tourists.

Nonetheless, I am advised that Tourism Ireland is committed to promoting the pre-clearance facility as part of its overall destination marketing campaigns and cooperative marketing activity with carriers. In addition, Shannon Development, as the regional tourism development body, is working with the national tourism agencies and Shannon Airport Authority on a number of new initiatives to specifically promote the facility.

These include a new website jointly funded by Shannon Development, Shannon Airport Authority, IHF and local trade to sell the advantages of the pre-clearance facility for Airlines, Charters, Passengers and Private Jet users, and a joint programme to identify and follow up with new potential aviation and tourism targets, including charter companies and tour operators, who would benefit from the new facility at Shannon International Airport.

In terms of tourism marketing generally, €44.25m is being provided this year for the Tourism Marketing Fund. This will allow Tourism Ireland to continue to promote the mid west vigorously and extensively through its ongoing global marketing activity and through specific, additional campaigns undertaken for the western regions in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in Great Britain.

In 2010, Fáilte Ireland, will partner with businesses in the Mid West and Shannon region to help them grow their turnover, cut their costs, better manage cashflow and restructure their debt burden through a range of practical business supports. Furthermore, a new home holiday campaign, overseas regional marketing in key markets, capital investment in tourism projects, business tourism promotion, festivals and events supports – will benefit tourism in general including the industry in the Shannon region. Finally, the Department's direct funding to Shannon Development has been maintained at its 2009 level.