Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 888: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding third party booking websites. [34433/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I have noted the concerns expressed regarding the cost incurred by accommodation providers in their choice of booking engines. Ultimately,however,a decision to use a booking engine is a commercial choice for the provider. In this regard, accommodation providers will usually take into account the commission rates on rooms sold and the market exposure and flow of business that the booking engines may deliver. It is true that more and more tourists are using the internet to book their holidays and that is why Fáilte Ireland has a suite of supports available to accommodation providers. The purpose of these supports is to allow them to take maximum advantage of the market exposure afforded by the internet to drive business, including through their own websites and through social media.