asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he will introduce a financial incentive to encourage home holidays; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Home Holidays Incentive.
11.
Because of the cut in the Bord Fáilte allocation for 1987 made by the previous Government and reluctantly accepted by the current one, I regret that I am not in a position to introduce further incentives for domestic tourism at present. However the domestic sector should benefit from elements in the crash programme for 1987 which I announced on 3 May and also from further initiatives which my Department have agreed with operators in the industry.
I am pleased to be able to inform the Deputy and the House of details of measures agreed with these operators.
The Town & Country Homes Association and also Irish Farmhouse Holidays (Fáilte Tuaithe) are introducing a special offer of three nights' stay, bed and breakfast, for £27 and a 50 per cent reduction for children under 12 sharing.
The Irish Caravan Council have recommended that all their members offer a 10 per cent reduction on direct overseas bookings for mobile homes/caravans and that pre-booked pitches and tents be given for four nights for the price of three.
The Irish Boat Rental Association will give a 5 per cent discount on all direct overseas bookings and a 10 per cent discount to walk-in overseas visitors, that is, overseas visitors who come into any boat hire base in Ireland. All these have been worked on by me during a brief period.
The Restaurants Association of Ireland are launching a new initiative on the tourist menu scheme with a view to making it more widely available throughout the whole of the country. This has been a feature of continental tourism for some time. They are also launching a third tier at £12 and asking all their members to participate in this for the present tourist season.
SFADCo are offering 15 per cent off any booking for banquets in two of their castles. Deputy Taylor-Quinn will be delighted to hear that.
The Car Rental Council of Ireland have recommended that with effect from 1 June 1987 all their members offer 10 per cent off their national tariff rate for hirings of seven days' duration or more.
The Self-Catering Association will offer a 10 per cent discount off all overseas consumer bookings.
CIE have decided that rail/road unlimited rambler tickets sold in the United States will be reduced by 25 per cent and their validity will be extended to 30 days. The new cost is $100. They are also undertaking a special printing and distribution of 250,000 brochures for the United States, Britain and the continent, giving up-dated promotional offers.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to these organisations — and this is not pro forma because I have found them very co-operative — for the initiatives they have taken to support the Government's drive for tourism growth in 1987.
What about the publicans——
Deputies should rise in their places if they wish to ask questions.
From what the Minister said, people are not being encouraged to take their holidays at home. Most of the answer dealt with visitors from abroad. The Minister has admitted that he has made no change in policy since the previous Government were in power with regard to encouraging people to holiday in Ireland. In a recent statement the Director General of Bord Fáilte indicated that at least 160,000 people are at this time making up their minds about where they are going on holidays. What I have heard the Minister say today is very attractive for visitors from outside but there is very little on offer to encourage people to holiday at home.
Included in what I have read out are some benefits for the domestic as distinct from the overseas holidaymaker. I should also like to point out that in the package I announced already there are widespread inducements. My Department and I are fully conscious of the importance of domestic tourism and, within the limits I mentioned at the beginning of my reply, we will promote it to the maximum possible in 1987 and in future years. I strongly feel that we are exporting holidaymakers to the sun, which we cannot always guarantee here — to make an understatement — and now is the time to make a counter-attack to get people to holiday here. This applies to the domestic market and also to countries who earn a lot of money from us.
Will the Minister, purely in the interests of tourism, speak to his colleague, the Minister for Justice, in regard to the licensing of restaurants? I am sure the Minister is aware that many areas have nothing to offer tourists apart from very good eating houses which are very important to the local economy. They are providing a necessary service to tourism and, therefore, the Minister for Justice should speed up the process as it has taken years to bring to fruition.
I cannot answer for the Minister for Justice but, to the best of my knowledge, he is working on that matter.
The Minister stated that over 250,000 leaflets would be distributed abroad to advertise the incentives. Does he agree that Bord Fáilte are promoting over heavily abroad while practically ignoring the home market in which there is much greater scope for them to mount promotional efforts?
I accept that domestic tourism is very important but I do not accept it is not being promoted. I mentioned we had carried out research in regard to access fares and there was a far wider knowledge of the lowering of fares in Ireland than there was in foreign markets. As far as the Minister for Tourism is concerned, that was not a very pleasing thing to find out. Therefore, I will not complain about any agency, CIE, Aer Lingus, Bord Fáilte or any of the advertising agencies, if they try to make it known that there are reasonable access transport costs available and the pleasures we can offer to holidaymakers, not least in the Deputy's constituency.
The Minister said he was surprised there was such an awareness in Ireland of lower fares. Is that alone not justification for Bord Fáilte to promote the attractions of the industry at home?
Bord Fáilte have not been neglecting this matter, not will my Department.