Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details of any new projects he expects to receive funding from the €56 million provided for tourism product development between 2013 and 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57266/12]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Government's Medium Term Exchequer Framework 2012-2016 includes provision for significant investment in tourism product development, in recognition of the contribution that capital investment in tourism can make to increasing visitor numbers in the medium term and to sustaining economic recovery. The allocation of funding to specific tourism capital investment projects is the responsibility of Fáilte Ireland, which operates the Tourism Capital Investment Programme, and final decisions in this regard are made by the Fáilte Ireland Authority.  Since the Government took office in 2011, funding of over €28 million has been approved by Fáilte Ireland under the Tourism Capital Investment Programme.  Significant projects already announced include Derrynane House, Killarney House, Trinity College Book of Kells, the Dublin Heritage Mile, the Kilkenny Medieval Mile, and the first phase of the Wild Atlantic Way in Connemara, as well as a range of other investments. Much of the funding available in the period 2013-2016 will be used to meet these and other prior existing commitments.

Given the level of existing commitments, there is limited scope for additional project approvals between 2013 and 2016.  Any such projects will be assessed by the Fáilte Ireland executive and by the Capital Investment Appraisal Group before being referred to the Fáilte Ireland Authority for final approval.