asked the Minister for Labour if he will outline the way in which the various environmental work schemes operated by agencies or schemes under his control are integrated into an overall tourism development programme for the area in which they are taking place; if Bord Fáilte and the regional tourism organisation are formally and regularly consulted at any stage in the approval and planning of such schemes; his views on whether the maximum value for money in tourism terms is being obtained from the present patterns of expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Tourism Development.
17.
The social employment and Teamwork schemes administered by the NMS and the AnCO community youth training programme make a worthwhile contribution to the development of their local community.
Projects undertaken which involve amenity and environmental improvement and cultural activity also improve the tourist potential of the areas concerned with resulting economic benefits for the community. The following are examples of work undertaken by the three programmes.
Under the social employment scheme the Kinsale Chamber of tourism project provided work for 19 SES participants and was instrumental in the towns win of the 1986 Tidy Towns competition. Kinsale was also awarded third place in the European Entente Florale in 1986 and was nominated to host the presentations of prizes in September 1987. This was an exceptional honour for Kinsale as usually the prizegiving goes to the winning town.
The Sneem Development Co-op also attribute their success in the 1987 Tidy Towns competition to the social employment scheme. Their scheme was approved for 16 workers and the work involved the care of the village greens, church and sports grounds and landscaping and tree planting around the town.
The Ledwidge Cottage Committee, a sub-committee of Slane Community Council, are sponsoring an SES project. The SES participants act as guide-caretakers of the cottage which was the birthplace of the poet Thomas Francis Ledwidge. Information regarding the poet and his works is provided to visitors. The committee hope to establish the cottage as a museum which will add to the tourist attraction in the Boyne Valley, an area noted for its scenery and its prehistoric sites of international significance. The project commenced in June 1986 and has been extended for a further year. In August 1987 the centenary of Francis Ledwidge was celebrated. Without the SES scheme the committee would be unable to provide a guide for the cottage.
An example of a project completed under the AnCO CYTP programme is the restoration of the Italian Gardens and the ancient ruins at the Salesian Missionary College, Ballinakill, County Laois. CYPT are also building an oratorium at the Rock of Cashel sponsored by Ceoltas Ceoltoiri Éireann. It will be used for showing old Irish plays etc. Its aim is to further Irish culture and to attract tourists from the States and elsewhere.
The Teamwork scheme is funding a project at the Hawk's Well Theatre, Sligo, which involves training in all aspects of theatre work. The aim is to form a professional drama company. The group have recently staged the world premiere of Dermot Healy's new play "The Long Swim".
My Department in August requested all the regional directors of the National Manpower Service to place increased emphasis on tourism orientated projects.
Where projects are tourist orientated, the sponsors are expected to contact relevant tourist agencies in order to obtain specialist advice and thereby ensure the quality of the programme in question.