Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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36. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to help rebuild Ireland’s tourism sector which had achieved record numbers of visitors prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. [32198/22]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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60. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide details on the Governments strategy to help rebuild Ireland’s tourism sector which had achieved record numbers of visitors prior to the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32185/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 60 together.

A Tourism Recovery Taskforce was established in May 2020 and delivered a Tourism Recovery Plan with recommendations on how best the Irish tourism sector could adapt and recover in the changed tourism environment. Later that year, I appointed a Recovery Oversight Group, to oversee the implementation of this plan. This group has reported regularly to me and has provided valuable inputs to the Government on the measures required to assist the sector. The Recovery Oversight Group is continuing its work and will continue to report with updates on implementation of the recovery plan and recovery in the sector more generally.

Looking to the longer term, my Department has initiated the development of a sustainable tourism policy. The development of this new policy will involve consultation with the tourism industry and communities to help set out a path for the coming years which will support sustainable recovery and growth in the sector.

In Budget 2022 €288.5 million was allocated for tourism services. I have referred the Deputies' questions to Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland for further details of their plans to help the tourism sector to recover in 2022 and beyond.