Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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32. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on the lack of access to hotels for those with mobility issues; and specifically the availability of hoists. [58315/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Under the Disability Act 2005, disability policy in Ireland is delivered on a mainstream basis, with responsibility falling to each Minister and his or her department to ensure that their functions are executed with due regard for the needs of disabled people.

Regulation of tourism accommodation is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland and the authority aims to position Ireland as a world leader in accessible and inclusive tourism by 2030 and is actively working toward achieving that goal.

The Tourist Traffic Acts 1939-2011 Registration and Renewal of Registration Regulations for Hotels 2016 require that registered hotel premises provide access for persons with mobility difficulties, including wheelchair users, to the entrance hall, reception, bedrooms and public areas, including bathroom and toilet facilities in accordance with the 'Building Regulations Technical Guidance, Access and Use'. As it happens, I introduced those latter Regulations in my previous role as Minister of State for Local Government and Planning in 2022.

At present, Fáilte Ireland reports that while accessible accommodations exist, they are often not well-publicised.

To drive meaningful early change in this area, Fáilte Ireland has developed the ‘Access for Success’ initiative to empower hotels with pre-travel information tools, to improve the clarity and availability of accessibility information, boosting visitor confidence and booking conversion. This initiative also aims to elevate accessibility standards within hotels through tailored guidance and training supports.

In addition to the Access for Success initiative, Fáilte Ireland is delivering a new 'accessible and inclusive tourism' capability programme, to enhance skills and competencies for frontline staff and leadership teams in client businesses. This 'capability' is defined as the strategic creation and development of tourism experiences, environments, and services that are welcoming, safe, and usable by all individuals - regardless of ability, background, or personal circumstance.

To ensure all tourists can enjoy Ireland’s tourism offering, the tourism agencies are also engaged in on-going work with the wider tourism sector and advocacy groups to identify and address barriers and issues that can restrict access to tourist sites and services.

This continuous drive for improvement to: tourism infrastructure including accommodation; the use of innovative technology; and staff training will better serve and harness the growing, high value inclusive Irish tourism market.