Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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288. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the membership of the tourism recovery task force has changed; if this task force has made recommendations to her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18398/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Tourism Recovery Taskforce was established in May 2020 to prepare a Tourism Recovery Plan which included a set of recommendations on how best the Irish Tourism sector can adapt and recover in a changed tourism environment due to the Covid-19 crisis. The Tourism Recovery Plan 2020 – 2023 made a number of recommendations to help tourism businesses to survive, stabilise and recover.

In line with the recommendation in the Tourism Recovery Plan, a Recovery Oversight Group was appointed in December 2020. The purpose of the Group is to oversee the implementation of the Recovery Plan and monitor the sector’s recovery from the Covid-19 crisis. The Recovery Oversight Group is made up of an independent chairperson and 8 other members with a broad spectrum of backgrounds. The group has met 12 times to date and has presented three reports which evaluate the progress made to date and make a number of recommendations. I continue to use these reports as an important policy consideration as I continue to work, alongside my colleagues in Government, to support the tourism sector. In addition, officials continue to engage with the tourism agencies and colleagues across Government in pursuing progress on specific recommendations.

The reports of the Recovery Oversight Group can be viewed at gov.ie/tourismrecoverytaskforce

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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289. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding allocated to the Tourism Ireland Regional Co-operative Marketing Fund, which seeks to encourage new access and maximise the potential of existing air and sea services to those areas outside of Dublin, in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022. [18399/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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As the Deputy is aware, Tourism Ireland promotes regional air and sea access to Ireland in overseas tourism markets through initiatives like the Regional Cooperative Marketing Fund, whichseeks to encourage new access and maximise the potential of existing services to the regions, with matched funding from airlines, sea carriers, airports, ports and regional tourism stakeholders including Local Authorities.

The Regional Cooperative Marketing Fund has been very important in enabling tactical partnerships that have helped drive increases in visitors to the regions, amplifying the Ireland message overseas and supporting direct access. This scheme will continue to form a very important part of Tourism Ireland's plans in supporting the recovery of our tourism sector in a post-pandemic environment.

The allocation to Tourism Ireland in respect of the Regional Cooperative Marketing Fund was €2.5 million in 2020, €3 million in 2021 and €3 million is also allocated for 2022.