John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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227. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount by which tourism funding has been cut since 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52179/17]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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The total Exchequer provision for tourism services decreased from €147.6m in 2011 to €122m in 2017, representing a 17% decrease over the period.  While funding for the tourism services programme was reduced in the years between 2011 and 2015 due to pressures on public finances during the downturn, Exchequer funding for the programme has increased incrementally over the past 2 years.

Budget 2018 has provided for further increases for tourism services in 2018. The detailed allocations will be set out in the Revised Estimates Volume for 2018, which is due to be published shortly.

It is worth noting that funding for the tourism programme was reduced from €169.4m in 2008 to €153.3m in 2009 with a further reduction to €147.6m in 2011. This represents an overall reduction of almost €22m or 13% between 2008 and 2011.

It should be noted by the deputy that the government has brought in many measures to help with the tourism industry, measures like the 9% vat rate and the abolition of the airport tax have helped revive the industry and these measures have boosted the economy by hundreds of millions of euros and been an enormous boost to the economy and the industry alike.

Details of the total annual provision for tourism services is available in the annual Revised Estimates Volume published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and available on that Department's website.