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.

Under the EU Just Transition Fund, the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly (EMRA) is the Managing Authority, and Fáilte Ireland is an Intermediate Body. As an Intermediate Body, Fáilte Ireland has been tasked with the administration of €68 million for a Regenerative Tourism and Placemaking Scheme 2023-2026. The overall scheme will be delivered through a range of funding programmes which will run in parallel between now and the end of 2026. With regard to the selection of projects, all such decisions are operational matters for Fáilte Ireland and I have no direct role in this regard.

Category 2 of the Just Transition funding is a scheme is for the ‘Development of Sustainable Tourist Accommodation’. Under this category, Fáilte Ireland will provide support for the development of new and additional small-scale sustainable tourist accommodation and is open to all SMEs that are eligible under the scheme guidelines.

As part of the scheme, Tourism Activators are being appointed to each local authority to assist with the promotion of the schemes on the ground, and to support applicants to develop their project ideas. The Tourism Activators are currently in place for Longford, Westmeath, Offaly and Laois. Recruitment is ongoing for Tourism Activators in Roscommon, Galway, Tipperary and Kildare. Tourism Activators will be a key local support for anyone wishing to apply for EUJTF funding, or anyone who requires more information on the Scheme.

More information and full scheme guidelines can be found at www.failteireland.ie/justtransition.