asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport details of any arrangements made to provide tourists with petrol; if he is satisfied that such schemes are effective and being operated satisfactorily; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tourism Industry.
8.
A petrol voucher scheme was introduced for motoring tourists from overseas on 1 June 1979. The vouchers guarantee a supply of petrol at designated filling stations throughout the country.
The scheme originally provided for a supply of 20 gallons—16 gallons in the case of cars having tank capacity of six gallons or less. The scheme has now been improved and tourists will receive vouchers for 20 gallons of petrol, or 16 gallons in the case of smaller cars, valid for nine days and those remaining beyond that period may reapply for one further lot of vouchers guaranteeing 20 or 16 gallons, as appropriate.
The scheme is being closely monitored by Bord Fáilte who operate it and my information is that it has been working satisfactorily.
I am sure the Minister heard the comment of the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy on Radio Eireann last Sunday, and I should like him to give us an assurance that we will not now relax and imagine that everything is fine.
The Deputy is not asking a question.
I am asking the Minister, when the Bord Fáilte monitoring has been carried out, to tell us the complaints he has received and the difficulties people are experiencing in exchanging vouchers.
Overseas tourists are guaranteed petrol at approximately 190 filling stations throughout the country. From 20 June these stations will remain open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturday and a certain number will open on Sundays. Details will be available from tourist information offices throughout the country.
I trust the Minister will continue to monitor the situation. In regard to petrol, will he or some of his advisers, if he has seen the programme on the BBC dealing with British tourists leaving Ireland, communicate with the British Broadcasting Corporation——
We cannot have questions in regard to a television programme.
Is the Minister satisfied with that programme? Most people in the tourism business were far from satisfied.
I agree it was a very unsatisfactory programme. We got in touch with the BBC and they put on a further programme which to some degree rectified the position, but it was still unsatisfactory.
Has the Minister seen a report in this morning's Cork Examiner to the effect that the B+I representatives on the Continent told prospective tourists coming to Ireland that the situation here was very bad and that they should not come? Does the Minister agree that for a company who depend for some of their revenue on people going from and coming to Ireland, this was unfriendly——
Which company?
I am sorry, I should have said British Rail.
I did not see that report. I will look at it.
Can the Minister say whether petrol vouchers are available to tourists from Northern Ireland?
I will be replying to a later question on that.
Can the Minister tell us why petrol companies are not honouring the vouchers when they are presented?
My information is that the system is working satisfactorily.
If I can produce evidence for the Minister that such is not the case, will he investigate it?
Yes, but my information is that it is working satisfactorily and it is a very bad business to attempt to suggest in this House that it is not when all the information I have from Bord Fáilte is that it is working satisfactorily. This is sabotaging the efforts of Bord Fáilte to improve the tourist situation.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
I can tell the Minister that he is being led up the garden path by Bord Fáilte. He does not know what is happening.
This is disgusting—it is a shame and a disgrace. Bord Fáilte are doing everything possible to counteract the various problems facing the country and it is a scandal that this kind of thing should be indulged in by the Deputy.
There are difficulties in regard to the availability of vouchers. Can the Minister tell me the number and the names of the centres in Connacht where tourists taking out cars can get vouchers?
Bord Fáilte offices will give full information to any tourist who needs it.
Although I do not want to continue on the lines which the Minister suggested are disruptive—I want to be constructive—there are certain difficulties in the west and there is grave dissatisfaction.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I wish to raise on the Adjournment the administrative arrangements made by the Minister to facilitate the tourism industry.
I will communicate with Deputy Quinn.
9.
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport the total income estimated for tourism earnings for 1979 indicating (a) the estimated income from the home holiday based section of this industry and (b) the income from Britain; if these estimates are now being revised and if so, the nature and figures of any such revision.
10.
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport the details of any estimates prepared in January 1979 in respect of total tourism earnings for 1979; if these estimates are now being revised; and if so, the extent and nature of such revision.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to take questions Nos. 9 and 10 together.
The preparation and updating of targets for tourism revenue is a matter for Bord Fáilte and the projections for 1979 were set out in the board's Tourism Plan, 1979-83 prepared by them for the trade. The target shown for total tourism for 1979 was £432.9 million, including home holidays and carrier receipts. The revenue targets from home holidaymakers and British tourists were £115.6 million and £80.6 million respectively. The figures were prepared in 1978 terms.
These targets are subject to review by Bord Fáilte and some revision will be inevitable. The board are monitoring developments but are not in a position at this stage to state the extent and nature of the revision necessary.
Will the Minister accept that people involved in the tourism industry, in all its aspects, have been seriously affected by the petrol shortage and the postal dispute? No later than yesterday, the chairman of the Irish Hotels Federation forecast that there will be a loss of £50 million this year——
The Deputy is giving information, not seeking it.
Does the Minister accept what the chairman of the Hotels Federation has said, that there will be a loss of £50 million? Will he agree there is a serious situation, and will he tell us of the plans he has to try to remedy the position so that the industry can carry on?
I have pointed out that Bord Fáilte are monitoring developments but they are not in a position at this stage to state the extent of the problem. I have told the Deputy that Bord Fáilte are doing everything possible to improve the situation, particularly in relation to petrol vouchers and advertising. Now that the postal strike is over, further efforts will be made to attract visitors.
I have been reading all the newspapers——
Will the Deputy ask a question?
I put it to the Minister that from the reports seen in the leading national newspapers it would appear that the only amount spent by Bord Fáilte on publicity has been about £130,000.
The Deputy is taking up Question Time by making statements.
Bord Fáilte have spent only £130,000 and is the Minister satisfied this amount is sufficient? Does he intend to communicate with our embassies abroad and with CTT, the IDA and our other agencies to try to improve the situation, where a loss of probably 20 per cent——
The Deputy can be assured that every possible effort is being made by me, by Bord Fáilte and by everybody connected with the industry to improve the situation. As I have already stated, the available statistics show that the numbers of visitors and of cars entering the country in the first five months of the year, that is up to the end of May, was higher than the corresponding situation this time last year. On the other hand, I am not trying to mislead the House. There is a down-turn caused by adverse publicity relating to the communications difficulties as has been mentioned here already, and in connection with petrol supplies. These have affected advance bookings. We cannot expect that the increase recorded in the early part of the year will be maintained. Nevertheless, we are doing our utmost in the circumstances to ensure that the information in relation to the petrol situation, which has improved very much, and in relation to the Post Office situation, will be relayed to other countries to ensure that people who would still wish to come here and who might be on two minds as to whether to come or not will come. The petrol situation has improved very considerably, as everybody can see—you do not see any queues at present—and the postal strike is over. In all these circumstances the opportunity is there to encourage more people to come to this country and I have no doubt that we will be successful in all the efforts we are making.
Is the figure mentioned satisfactory? Do the Minister's Department intend to allocate to Bord Fáilte further sums for a publicity campaign to show the good side of the situation now?
A worth-while publicity campaign is being carried on at present.
Does the Minister——
Question No. 11. The Deputy cannot continue this contempt for the Chair.
The Chair has shown contempt as regards the questions I was asking.
The Deputy will not make any such statements regarding the Chair. He rises in his place, ignores the Chair and directs statements across——
When I went to ask my first supplementary question you, Sir, interrupted me. When I asked my second question you stopped me.
If the Deputy wishes to continue in that strain I will have to ask him to leave the House.