asked the Minister for Transport and Power whether he is satisfied with the number of hotel bedrooms at under 50/- per night in this country; and whether Ireland has sufficient accommodation to cater for the low cost continental tourist.
4.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tourist Accommodation.
3.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power whether he is satisfied that the market for low-cost tourists from the Continent is being catered for.
I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions 3 and 4 together.
There are about 12,500 hotel bedrooms, out of 19,600 on the Register, in which the bed and breakfast charge is less than 50/- per person. In addition, there are about 4,300 guest house bedrooms and 8,400 bedrooms in listed supplementary accommodation all of which offer accommodation for less than 50/- per night. Altogether, about 80 per cent of the bedrooms registered with or listed by Bord Fáilte have charges within the price range mentioned by the Deputy. This proportion is reasonably satisfactory but I would hope that the number of overseas visitors in all categories will continue to increase and accordingly the question of the adequacy of accommodation at all levels must be kept under continuous review.
Does the Minister agree that the advertisement which appeared in the latest issue of the French magazine Paris Match is calculated to give the impression to continental tourists that the language of Ireland is “blah, blah, blarney”?
That is a separate question.
Was the article by Frances Parkinson Keyes drawn to the notice of Bord Fáilte?
That does not arise. It is not applicable to tourism generally.
Of course it does. We are talking about high-cost and low-cost hotels. Does the Minister not think there should be a statement by himself or Bord Fáilte?
The matter has been referred to Bord Fáilte. I might add that another good lady from America came here and said that one could go round Ireland for five dollars a day.
Should we not avoid paddy whackery—saying that the language of Ireland is "blah, blah, blarney"?
The question of language does not arise.
It produces a very bad impression.
The advertising matter of Bord Fáilte is absolutely magnificent.