Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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265. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the full extent of growth within the tourism sector, with particular reference to the total number of persons employed, and the scope for further development resulting in employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24046/15]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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266. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which he and his Department continue to identify expansion opportunities for the tourism sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24048/15]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 265 and 266 together.

CSO overseas tourism figures for 2014 show that there were over 7.6 million overseas visits to Ireland, an increase of 9% on 2013 and the fourth successive year of growth. Figures for early part of 2015 show this strong performance continuing with good growth being recorded in visit numbers and revenue from all of our main overseas markets. In terms of employment, the most recent CSO Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) data shows that, in the final quarter of 2014, the seasonally adjusted number of persons employed in the accommodation and food services sector was 135,600. This represents 23,000 additional jobs compared with the same period in 2011, when this Government took office. This 20% increase in employment shows the success of the measures introduced by the Government to support the tourism sector, including the 9% VAT rate, the setting of the air travel tax to zero, initiatives like the Gathering, and major investments such as the Wild Atlantic Way.

Of course, the overall level of employment in the tourism sector is wider than accommodation and food service, with employment in transport, visitor attractions, tour operators, and retail all benefitting from higher levels of overseas and domestic tourism.  Fáilte Ireland estimates that the total level of employment in the tourism sector is in the region of 200,000.

The Government's Tourism Policy Statement "People, Place and Policy – Growing Tourism to 2025", as published earlier this year, contains three key goals to be achieved by 2025. Specifically:

- there will be 250,000 people employed in tourism;

- Ireland will welcome ten million overseas visits compared with 7.6 million in 2014; and

- overseas visitor revenue, net of any inflation effect, will be €5 billion compared with €3.5 billion in 2014.

The Tourism Policy Statement set out a range of policy objectives to achieve these targets.  I will shortly announce the members of a Tourism Leadership Group who will oversee the preparation of a three-year Tourism Action Plan that will set out specific actions required in the period up to 2018 in order to achieve the policy objectives.