asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will give a list of major and minor resorts designated by Bord Fáilte, giving the list of grants (a) paid to each resort and (b) promised to each resort since 1st March, 1966.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Major Resort Development Scheme.
17.
The Major Resort Development Scheme is administered by Bord Fáilte, who designate the areas to be developed under it and allocate the funds provided for this purpose under a separate grant-in-aid subhead of my Department's Vote. There is no specific provision in my Department's Vote for minor resort works and out of the general grant-in-aid which is made available to Bord Fáilte to cover operational expenses, including all marketing and many miscellaneous developmental activities, the board endeavour to set aside an allocation for improvement and amenity works at resorts and other locations which are not designated under the Major Resort Development Scheme.
I am informed by Bord Fáilte that the minor resort development works carried out in the period from March, 1966 to January, 1971 are many and varied and a list of them and the amount spent by the board in each case is not readily available. The board, however, have provided a list of the amounts spent on minor resort works in the period from 1st April, 1966 to 31st December, 1970 in each county and with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to circulate it and a list of the amounts spent in the same period on major resort works in each major resort, in the Official Report.
I am also informed by the board that they have received a large volume of requests for financial assistance for resorts and that discussions have taken place with the interests concerned on the merits of the scheme proposed. Because of Bord Fáilte's commitments in relation to resort development works, which have been in the pipeline for a number of years, the high costs of such works and the fact that it has not been possible to provide the funds necessary to implement all of them at the same time or within a short period, the board's discussions on the financing of resort development proposals were based on the likely availability of the requisite funds. In the circumstances, the board found that it was not possible to process applications to the stage where they could give firm promises as to when they could provide the financial assistance sought. It is clear that the board's expenditure on resort development works for the next few years will have to be directed in the main towards the implementation on a phased basis of development works already drawn up.
The lists are as follow:
|
Major Resorts |
Bord Fáilte expenditure in the period 1st April, 1966-31st December, 1970 |
|
£ |
|
|
Skerries |
17,102 |
|
Dun Laoghaire |
11,857 |
|
Bray |
10,122 |
|
Greystones |
31,383 |
|
Arklow |
28,537 |
|
Tramore |
192,759 |
|
Youghal |
37,728 |
|
West Cork |
75,804 |
|
Killarney |
148,587 |
|
Dingle |
2,015 |
|
Ballybunion |
22,728 |
|
Kilkee |
16,973 |
|
Lahinch |
43,672 |
|
Galway |
122,309 |
|
Donegal |
191,734 |
|
Westport |
48,898 |
|
Achill |
12,152 |
|
Waterways |
394,813 |
Minor Resort Works
|
County |
Bord Fáilte expenditure in the period 1st April, 1966 to 31st December, 1970 |
|
£ |
|
|
Carlow |
1,998 |
|
Cavan |
6,495 |
|
Clare |
24,020 |
|
Cork |
12,531 |
|
Donegal |
8,772 |
|
Dublin |
14,194 |
|
Galway |
17,236 |
|
Kerry |
31,625 |
|
Kildare |
4,651 |
|
Kilkenny |
7,170 |
|
Laois |
4,617 |
|
Leitrim |
5,660 |
|
Limerick |
1,134 |
|
Louth |
6,688 |
|
Longford |
1,016 |
|
Mayo |
10,439 |
|
Meath |
19,721 |
|
Monaghan |
1,555 |
|
Offaly |
357 |
|
Roscommon |
1,763 |
|
Sligo |
3,881 |
|
Tipperary |
8,932 |
|
Waterford |
13,382 |
|
Westmeath |
20,787 |
|
Wexford |
13,370 |
|
Wicklow |
5,996 |
Would the Minister not agree that the money available for resort development work in the next three years has been ear-marked by Bord Fáilte, that, in fact, there is no money at all available for new work to be done, that Bord Fáilte seem to have got bogged down completely in the process of attempting to develop the major resorts, that very little money is being spent in minor resorts and that, in many minor resorts, no money at all has been available for many years? Would the Minister consider asking Bord Fáilte to review the whole set-up, and asking his colleague the Minister for Finance to make enough money available in the Budget to finance a decent scheme for minor resorts?
In regard to the allocation of Bord Fáilte funds it is a question of getting our priorities right. As far as I am concerned the main priority at this point of time is to ensure that the existing accommodation is filled, hotel accommodation, guesthouse accommodation, and so on. This is why we allocated increased funds early this year for market promotion abroad to encourage more visitors to come here. In my view, that is the priority at the moment. One must cut one's cloth according to one's measure.
Would the Minister not agree that there are many smaller resorts that could do very well and are getting a very big number of visitors but, because of the fact that they are getting absolutely no co-operation from Bord Fáilte, they are unable to cater for them, and never will be able to cater for them? Does the Minister not agree that it is stupid to be spending £1 million on resorts that are already over-catered for while nothing at all can be found for other resorts that could cater for many thousands of visitors if they were treated properly?
It is a question of doing what we can do.
When the Minister is making the new appointments he should appoint somebody who will do it properly.