Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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866. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason the new Fáilte Ireland destination experience development plan for County Wexford makes minimal reference to Gorey and north Wexford; if his Department regards this part of the country as a tourism destination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40916/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The Wexford Destination and Experience Development Plan (DEDP), which was recently launched by Fáilte Ireland, aims to create a sustainable tourism destination by extending the tourism season and spreading business across all parts of the region over the next five years. The DEDP integrates both existing and new projects throughout the county, while also exploring new tourism development opportunities to enhance the value of the tourism sector in County Wexford. The strategy emphasises the need for greater connectivity among Wexford’s coastal, rural, and urban experiences to boost the county's appeal to international visitors.

The DEDP has been developed through a collaborative approach and will be dependent on local tourism businesses, stakeholders and local communities working with Fáilte Ireland to implement this plan over next five years.

County-Wide Programmes relevant specifically to North Wexford in the DEDP are as follows:

• Tourism Clusters and Networks: Support for tourism businesses through local clusters and networks, aligned with the county’s tourism themes.
• Outdoor Activity Development: Support for activity providers across the county, including training and enterprise development linked to outdoor and coastal tourism.
• Sustainability: Programmes to reduce the tourism sector’s carbon footprint and promote biodiversity experiences across the county.
• Transport: Exploration of opportunities to expand Local Link services to improve access to rural and coastal visitor experiences.
• Food Tourism: Implementation of the Wexford Food in Tourism Plan to support the development of food, drink and agri-food visitor experiences.
• Craft Tourism: Development of the Wexford Craft Trail to support local makers and connect them with tourism opportunities.
• Industry Capability Building: Training and support to help tourism businesses become more competitive in international markets and align with the goals of the DEDP.

• Courtown Coastal Destination: A feasibility study will assess options for enhancing Courtown as a coastal activity destination, including beach improvements, marina development, public realm upgrades and swimming facilities.
• Ferns Community Experience: A review will consider how to better connect Ferns Castle with the local visitor experience and the National 1798 Rebellion Centre.
• Seal Rescue Ireland, Courtown: The plan includes an assessment of the potential for a coastal education experience in Courtown, linking marine biodiversity with the work of Seal Rescue Ireland.
• Enniscorthy Visitor Attractions: The plan proposes integrating Enniscorthy Castle and the National 1798 Rebellion Centre into a more connected visitor experience. It also includes an assessment of the Athenaeum building and the visitor experience at Vinegar Hill.
• Enniscorthy Riverside Trail: The development of a riverside trail to Blueway standards is being explored, with links to nearby forests, amenities and heritage sites.