Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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486. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the budget Fáilte Ireland sought to establish and promote the new Hidden Heartlands brand. [17507/18]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Fáilte Ireland sought total funding (current and capital) in the order of €3.36m for 2018 to establish and start promoting the new Midlands/Lakelands brand - Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands.

As set out in the Revised Estimates Volume (REV) 2018, I secured an initial €2 million in Exchequer funding this year (€1m capital and €1m current funding) to allow Fáilte Ireland start the development stage of the brand - across tourism infrastructure, product, services and marketing.  Further Exchequer allocations for subsequent years will be decided in the context of the annual Estimates process between my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.