Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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652. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider a home gathering in 2015, a major drive to encourage a year of holidaying at home among Irish residents in an effort to keep some of our spend on foreign holidays in our own economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53836/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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My Department is currently undertaking a review of tourism policy. The review is looking at all aspects of Irish tourism and interested parties have been invited to make submissions to the Department on a range of issues which are set out in the published public consultation document.  The level of interest has been such that I extended the deadline for receipt of submissions by three weeks to 22nd  November. With my colleague, the Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, I also have hosted a number of consultation seminars across the country.   

Following the analysis of the submissions received, I plan to issue a draft tourism policy document and, after a further short period of consultation, to finalise the policy by Easter 2014. Once the final tourism policy has been published, it will provide a robust foundation for a broader tourism strategy and action plan.  The question of a Home Gathering can be considered in that context but, for now, I have no such plans.  However, I can assure the Deputy, that, as in recent years, Fáilte Ireland will again run a Home Holidays Marketing Campaign in 2014 to foster growth in the domestic market next year and to encourage home holidays. I am, of course, open to any suggestions as to how a "Home Gathering" might work.