I listened with interest to the contributions to the debate and I took note of last night's contributions from Deputies Yates, Burke, Deenihan and Higgins, who also spoke this evening. The one point which is clear is that everybody recognises and acknowledges the high standing and reputation of the Great Southern Hotel Group. This is a tremendous tribute to the staff and management of the hotels, the chairman, Mr. Noel Hanlon, and the chief executive, Mr. Eamon McKeon, who is also chairman of CERT, the training body for hotels, catering and tourism. The speakers also recognised the great contribution that this hotel group has made to the development and training in the sector. I will return to that point and address some of the issues raised.
It is also clear that at present the Great Southern Hotel Group is operating successfully. Its turnover is increasing, its profits are up and it is developing its network through further investment. We have heard about the new hotel in Dublin, the planned hotel in Cork and the extensions to the opening seasons of many of the resort hotels.
I reiterate what the Minister said last night. It is right and proper at this time to review the future strategic direction of the Great Southern Hotel Group just as it is right and proper to review the future strategic direction of its parent company, Aer Rianta. Long-term strategic planning, which is what this process involves, is best done when times are good rather than at times of crisis. Planning under pressure is not to be recommended. It is too much influenced by the immediate problem and fails to take the long view sufficiently into consideration.
We do not always have the luxury of choosing the ideal time to carry out a strategic review. However, in the case of Aer Rianta and the Great Southern Hotel Group, we have that luxury and the Minister is to be applauded for her foresight when, last August, she called on Aer Rianta to put forward its views for the long-term strategic future of the group of companies.
The role of the Great Southern Hotel Group in training needs to be clearly understood. We all recognise the pioneering role played by these hotels in the early days of tourism in Ireland. Several Deputies referred to that aspect. CERT, which is the national body for training in this industry, rents one of the Great Southern Hotels, the Torc in Killarney, when it is closed in the off-season to run practical training programmes. CERT also uses another hotel in the area for the same purpose. In both cases, it is a business arrangement entered into on the basis of a competitive tendering process. CERT is the body charged with training for the hotel, catering and tourism industry, not the Great Southern Hotel Group, and CERT is doing an excellent job.
CERT's role is to co-ordinate the training of all personnel, including new industry recruits and personnel already employed in the tourism and hospitality sector. Last year, in partnership with industry, CERT trained more than 11,500 people and that figure is set to rise again this year. Well trained, highly motivated staff are essential to the continued success of the tourism industry of which Great Southern Hotels make up a small but important part.
To return to the main issue, Aer Rianta and the Great Southern Hotels are separate companies operating in separate business spheres and it is important to recognise that in undertaking the review process. They need to be examined separately and not as one unit. The review process the Minister has in progress on Aer Rianta's future direction is primarily about Aer Rianta and this will remain the main focus of that work. Aer Rianta has retained the consultants, Arthur Andersen, to do further work, specifically on the options for the Great Southern Hotels. They will hear the views of the staff and management of the hotels as part of that exercise. While that work is in progress, the Minister will make herself available to hear directly the views of the staff of the hotels and to listen to their rightful concerns. That is the right and proper thing to do.
It is only when that process has been exhausted that the Minister will be in a position to arrive at a conclusion and to formulate recommendations to Government. As that review process is still under way, it is futile to ask the Minister, or me, to pre-empt matters by stating at this time what those recommendations will be. The main consideration, as we already said, and the framework for any decision will be in terms of finding the right future for Great Southern Hotels in a way that will also be right for the staff and the tourism industry. We want to position both companies, Aer Rianta and the Great Southern Hotel Group, to the best advantage in terms of serving the widest economic interests of the country. This includes making proper provision for the future developmental needs of the Great Southern Hotel Group.
I am confident that any decisions arrived at by Government will lead to a full and promising future for the hotels of the Great Southern Hotel Group and their staff and that it will contribute to the further enhancement of the hotel and tourism sector.