Written answers

Tuesday, 9 June 2020

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Travel Trade Sector

Photo of Duncan SmithDuncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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529. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to help and compensate those that have paid for holidays that they cannot now take; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10295/20]

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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569. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the legal position for customers that booked and paid deposits for foreign holidays through travel agents licensed here in circumstances in which that holiday cannot now be availed of due to Covid-19 restrictions; if there is an obligation on the travel agents to repay deposits in these circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10005/20]

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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582. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of assistance offered to families that may have booked foreign travel packages for later in the summer period. [10188/20]

Photo of Shane RossShane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 529, 569 and 582 together.

Consumer protections for holiday-makers who book packages through travel agents and tour operators are enshrined in EU law. EU Directive 2302/2015 on Package Travel requires travel agents and tour operators to provide a full cash refund within 14 days in the event that a package holiday is cancelled, by either the customer or the holiday provider, in the case of unavoidable or extraordinary circumstances such as those related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport have issued the following updated guidance on the right of travellers to terminate package travel into the summer months:

Where customers of travel agents and/or tour operators are not receiving requested refunds, they have recourse to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, the State's consumer watchdog, for advice.

I am conscious that meeting the refund obligations of the EU Package Travel Directive is putting incredible financial strain on travel agents and tour operators. For that reason, the Government has approved special support measures in the form of a State-guaranteed Refund Credit Note, which can be offered instead of cash refunds in the secure knowledge that their value is underwritten by the State. The idea behind the Refund Credit Note is that the tour operators/travel agents may offer customers the option of the Note, which can then be used to book a future holiday or redeemed for cash at a later date. Importantly the customer may still opt for a cash refund.

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