Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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175. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which hotel occupancy has been monitored over the past three years to date, with a view to identifying growth trends and prospects; if over-supply or under-supply of accommodation has been identified, and to what extent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39735/15]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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​Fáilte Ireland monitors the performance of tourist accommodation, including hotels, through regular occupancy surveys of accommodation providers throughout Ireland.  This survey collects data on accommodation available and rooms/beds sold each month, as well as a breakdown of overseas and domestic guests. The statistics indicate that the country as a whole has sufficient stock of tourist accommodation to meet the needs of the industry.  However, regarding hotel accommodation specifically, analysis of recent occupancy trends and the impact of increasing demand indicates that we will require additional capacity in some parts of the country - particularly Dublin City Centre.  According to Fáilte Ireland's most recent accommodation occupancy statistics, for January to August 2015, hotel room occupancy in Dublin stood at 75%, whereas hotel occupancy outside Dublin was 66%.  Three years ago, survey results for the same 9-month period in 2013 indicated hotel occupancy levels of 69% in Dublin and 59% elsewhere, although changes in 2015 to the way data is collected and analysed may affect comparability with previous years.  With regard to other forms of accommodation, occupancy rates in the first nine months of 2015 were mostly higher in Dublin than elsewhere in Ireland, although the reverse was the case for caravan and camping sites and self-catering.  Further details on occupancy rates including details from previous years is available on Failte Ireland's website at . 

​To broaden our understanding of the situation and inform consideration of appropriate responses, I understand that Fáilte Ireland has commissioned an assessment of the potential supply of visitor accommodation in Dublin up to 2020 compared to likely demand under several different growth scenarios and this report is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks.