Vol. 384 No. 3
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport the new mechanism which it is intended to use to ascertain when and if the target of 25,000 new jobs in tourism is being met; and if he will report every six months to Dáil Éireann on exactly where the new jobs have been created.
37.
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he will outline the progress which has been made to date in implementing the commitment contained in the Programme for National Recovery to create and extra 25,000 jobs in the tourism area and to attract £500 million in foreign tourism; the number of jobs which have been created to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
48.
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport the specific action he is taking to meet the targets set out for tourism growth in the Programme for National Recovery; whether these targets are realistic; the growth in tourism, revenue and job creation which have been achieved to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 17, 37 and 48 together as they all relate to the tourism growth targets set out in the Programme for National Recovery.
As the House is aware, a Central Review Committee, comprising representatives of the parties to the Programme for National Recovery, has been established to monitor implementation of the programme. Statements issued on the implementation of the programme, including the job creation targets, have been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. I understand that further statements will be issued from time to time. The employment arising from the improved tourism performance will be monitored using sectoral employment surveys conducted by the Central Statistics Office, in conjunction with data on tourism revenue.
The tourism growth targets, as set out in the programme, relate to tourism revenue and numbers and job creation. On the basis of tourism performance in 1987 and the indications for 1988, I am confident that these targets are both realistic and attainable.
While there are no revenue figures available as yet for 1988, market estimates for the first nine months show an increase of some 13 per cent in overseas visitor numbers compared with the corresponding period in 1987. This is very close to the 15 per cent growth target set by Government. Growth of this order, on top of a 12 per cent increase in visitor numbers in 1987 when tourism revenue passed the £1 billion mark for the first time, is already estimated to have created over 12,000 extra jobs in the economy over the two years 1987 and 1988.
It has been difficult to hear the Minister's reply because of the conversation in the Chamber and the lobbies. It must cease.
If the tourism targets set out in the Programme for National Recovery are to be achieved; would the Minister not agree that growth in tourism revenue and in visitor numbers would have to increase at an annual rate of 15 per cent? Would he not further agree that there is no evidence that that kind of growth has taken place in the last season? Hoteliers, restaurant operators and other people in the industry are saying that nothing like that level of growth has been achieved. If that trend continues, would he not agree that it would not be possible to meet the targets set out in the Programme for National Recovery?
The Deputy must not have listened, or perhaps the susurration of interest in tourism kept him from hearing exactly what I said. I said there has been an increase of almost 15 per cent this year, an increase of 12 per cent last year and that these are almost dead on Government target. We know the objectives we have set ourselves in the tourism field are large and difficult to achieve, but we think they are achievable and we are concentrating on achieving them.
I am calling Question No. 49. Again I must ask for order.
