Vol. 403 No. 5
7 Mr. Connor asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if the Arigna Task Force report had been brought to his attention; if he accepts the recommendations in the report which suggest a role for his Department in employment creation in this area; and the action he intends to take to meet these recommendations.
The report of the Arigna task force has been received in my Department.
Bord Fáilte have been asked to examine the tourism related recommendations. I understand that the local regional tourism organisation will also be participating in the Arigna Development Fund Company, which my colleague, the Minister for Energy, has already dealt with in his reply to the Deputy on 21 November last.
A Lough Allen amenity group in County Leitrim submitted many good recommendations to Bord Fáilte last year before Arigna collieries were closed but did not receive favourable consideration. Will the Minister favourably consider the Lough Allen amenity group scheme in view of the great job losses in the area?
I will certainly do that. One of the good side effects of the question tabled by the Deputy's colleague is that I have had an opportunity to study the report in detail. There were some excellent recommendations in it, particularly in regard to the Shannon, the heritage business, agri-tourism and the Lough Allen catchment area. I will see what my Department can do to help the overall development following the closure of Arigna.
I am sure that the Minister is aware of the Commission's initiative under the ENVIREG scheme which is intended to assist areas like this which have been hit by unemployment as the result of the closure of mines and so forth. Have the Department examined that programme to see whether the area could benefit from funds arising from it?
This question deals with the Arigna task force.
Arigna is the mining area.
The elements of the task force report in front of me deal with tourism proposals and they are very comprehensive. I will ask Bord Fáilte to look in more detail at the particular items.
Bord Fáilte funding does not come from that fund but from the European Development Regional Fund under the operational programme. It is that area of funding that Bord Fáilte will be interested in.
I am just drawing the Minister's attention to the fact that this programme makes money available for the development of tourism as an alternative job creation system for areas that have been hit by unemployment arising from the closing of mines.
