Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein)
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235. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to provide a full breakdown of how the Brexit Adjustment Fund funding allocated to her Department was spent, by project, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38548/24]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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As a result of the adverse impact of Brexit on Irish tourism, €7.75 million in Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) funding was allocated to Tourism Ireland in 2023 to put in place a marketing strategy to stem and reverse the decline in tourist numbers and associated revenues from Great Britain and Northern Ireland and also to grow tourism from other markets.?

The marketing strategy reflected the short-term need to both retain GB business and gain more EU visitors and, in parallel, to help to drive greater market diversification. Tourism Ireland undertook a comprehensive programme of marketing activity throughout 2023, targeting both Great Britain and key European markets.

As outlined by the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform in PQ 233 on this year, the exact composition of Ireland's BAR claim will not be finalised until the claim is submitted to the EU Commission. Once this is finalised, it will be possible to confirm detail in relation to individual projects and final amounts.

Notwithstanding that, the actions taken by Tourism Ireland supported the tourism economy by enabling it to remain competitive in response to Brexit, protect jobs in the sector, support exposed regions and diversify markets after Brexit.

Activity programs were implemented under the following headings: