asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport (a) the action his Department proposes to take to improve the tourism and travel balance for 1989 (b) his views on whether the tourism and travel balance for 1988 will equal or surpass the 1985 balance given that the 1987 balance was £103 million less than the 1985 tourism and travel balance of £283 million; and if he will make a statement on this figure.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tourism Development.
17.
The Government, in the Programme for National Recovery, have set targets for the tourism sector over the next five years and the broad thrust of policy to achieve these. A special provision of £4 million was provided in this year's budget to boost tourism numbers and revenue in 1988. A special task force was set up to advise on how this money should be spent. Its recommendations have been accepted and implemented.
I am confident that the increase in foreign revenue from tourism in 1988 arising from these and other initiatives taken by this Government, allied with Bord Fáilte's drive to get more people to holiday at home, will lead to an improvement in our tourism and travel balance for 1988.
My Department at present have no specific proposals additional to those contained in the Programme for National Recovery for tourism development in 1989.
This time last year the Minister came into this House and outlined in great detail the approach which was being adopted by the Government in regard to tourism and the targets which had been set. On many occasions this House was led to understand that these targets were being surpassed but the recent publication of the Central Statistics Office——
I am awaiting a question from the Deputy.
——proves categorically that the targets set last year are not being reached. Would the Minister not agree that the tourism industry is facing a crisis and that his Department have not come to grips with it, that tourists spent just £1 million more than they did in 1984, £195 million as against £194 million, and £43 million less than the 1985 figure? Would the Minister not agree that that is a major disaster——
The Deputy is embarking upon a speech, I am sorry to say. It is not in order.
——and that the tourism industry is facing a crisis and that his Department need to come to terms with it very quickly?
I respect the Deputy's interest in this matter but the figures which she quoted are completely wrong.
They are correct and they are outlined in an official publication.
Let us hear the Minister's reply.
Earnings from foreign tourism in 1987 amounted to between £700 million and £800 million and earnings from domestic tourism amounted to upwards of £287 million. This comes to £1 billion plus and not the figure which the Deputy gave.
The Minister stated the overall expenditure from people who come to this country but divided down into business, tourism, visits to relatives, etc. it actually divides as I said. The overall figure is as the Minister stated but the actual figure——
Let us proceed with Question Time in an orderly fashion. The Minister was about to reply.
As I have already indicated to this House, the breakdown in the tourism figures is not of the same interest to me as the total earnings for this country. I want to say, and with some heat, that on visits to London, Manchester and Liverpool to promote tourism in the United Kingdom the people who represent various Irish organisations in that country are very angry when people denigrate the money that is spent by VFRs coming to this country. I ask the Deputy to consider that fact whenever she is making comments about VFRs coming to this country.
Would the Minister please answer the question which I put to him. He has not answered the question; he has only made a statement. The facts are that there is a crisis in tourism and what do the Minister and the Government propose to do about it?
If the Deputy comes in here and says in slightly dictatorial tones there is a crisis in tourism, it does not necessarily mean that that is so. I reject the Deputy's statement that there is a crisis in tourism and I indicated to the House the actual figures which were earned. I am concerned with the overall figure, which is what is important for the enrichment of this country.
Would the Minister not agree——
A final question from Deputy Taylor-Quinn.
——that the number of nights spent by tourists in this country reduced from 9.9 to 9.5? Does he not agree also that the number of people who came to this country last year was substantially lower than in 1985? Is the Minister clouding the situation and not facing the realities?
I am neither clouding it nor refusing to face the realities. I am simply saying that in 1987 a very substantial increase in tourist earnings took place, that we intend to build on that and that our five year plan is to increase revenue by £500 million and to increase the number of visitors to over 2 million per annum.
This question cannot go on interminably.
The fact of the matter is that all people who come to this country enrich the country. I do not care whether they are ethnic or non-ethnic. It is a false exercise to compare the figures for 1984, 1985 and 1986 when absolutely different conditions prevailed, particularly with regard to the North American market, as the Ministers in the previous Government will assure the Deputy. The weakening dollar helped considerably our tourist earnings from the United States. When a punt equalled a dollar, naturally people were getting exceptionally good value. It is now about $1.50 to the punt and people have to consider that when they are budgeting for a holiday here. All those factors have to be taken into consideration and we should compare like with like.
Would the Minister not agree——
This must be the final supplementary.
Is the Minister saying that the figures from his Department are correct and that the figures in this recent CSO publication are incorrect?
What the Minister is saying is that all comparisons limp and comparisons of figures between 1984 and 1987 limp very badly.
(Interruptions.)
A brief question from Deputy Jim Mitchell.
I am sure the Minister would agree that access transport costs are a key factor in improving tourism and he has already recognised what has been done in that area during the past four or five years. Can he tell the House what further plans he has to build on the progress of the past four or five years, in relation to reducing access prices and increasing the number of access routes to this country?
If the Deputy wishes I will give him a very substantial list of new fares, new routes, a new charter agreement which has been introduced allowing a certain mix with the charter people of ordinary passengers on a west to east basis so far as the United States is concerned; and the new agreement signed with Lord Brabazon of Tara during the year, which is a headline in liberalisation for the rest of Europe and which the Europeans are being told about. All of these factors have tended to bring down access fares. I realise what the Deputy did in this regard when he was Minister and I think I have built a very effective superstructure on that.
We can mutually compliment each other——
Question No. 18. Deputy Joe Sherlock's Question.
What about Europe?
I am sorry I have called Question No. 18.
We have made substantial progress in both Germany and France.
Question No. 18 has been called.