Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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56. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department has considered creating a funding line for lighthouses in order to enhance their tourism and accommodation value; and if she has had engagement with the Commissioners of Irish Lights on the potential for her Department to provide funding in townlands where lighthouses exist. [62547/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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My role and that of my Department in relation to tourism lies primarily in the area of national tourism policy development and in securing resources to assist the tourism agencies, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, in implementing that policy.

With regard to specific expenditure by Fáilte Ireland from its Exchequer funding allocations, such decisions are an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland, as the National Tourism Development Authority. Neither I, nor my Department, has any role in decisions by the Authority regarding its operational funding priorities and related expenditure.

Whilst Fáilte Ireland has not created a specific funding line for lighthouses in order to enhance their tourism and accommodation value, extensive work has been carried out with lighthouses in conjunction with the Commissioners of Irish Lights. A strong partnership has been developed with the Commissioners of Irish Lights and Fáilte Ireland has worked on numerous successful projects such as Fanad, Blacksod and Loop Head Lighthouses.

Fáilte Ireland has also worked with the Commissioners on the Great Lighthouses of Ireland initiative to assist in marketing product in the home and overseas markets. Alongside this support they have provided mentoring supports to assist communities and other agencies running lighthouses in areas of financial management, retail expertise, digital marketing and, training of tour guides and customer care.