Frank O'Rourke (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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1136. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the policies he is pursuing to ensure that counties such as County Kildare benefit from the increase in tourist numbers that is occurring, especially in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10110/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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My role, as the Minister with responsibility for tourism, is to develop national tourism policy which is then implemented by the tourism agencies - Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland. Fáilte Ireland is responsible for the development of regional tourism and Tourism Ireland has responsibility for the overseas promotion of the island of Ireland as a tourism destination.

Research shows that there is low awareness of Ireland's county boundaries among potential overseas visitors, indicating that expenditure on marketing an individual county to consumers in overseas markets would be unlikely to provide an adequate return on investment. The tourism agencies are instead developing and promoting tourism propositions of scale capable of achieving international impact and securing consumer attention. Those propositions are currently the Wild Atlantic Way, Dublin - A Breath of Fresh Air and Ireland's Ancient East,which includes county Kildare.

I have asked the tourism agencies to provide further details to the Deputy in relation to development and promotion of the tourism industry in Kildare. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.