Michael Creed
Question:69 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications if he has satisfied himself with the access facilities available to prospective tourists intending to holiday here.
Written Answers. - Tourism Promotion.
While the past nine months have brought major difficulties for both air and sea carriers, and have threatened the continuing provision of competitive access facilities, I am satisfied that Ireland continues to offer a range of competitive route alternatives for prospective tourists.
I am assured that Aer Lingus, Ryanair and British Midland have adequate capacity to fill the gap created by the British Airways withdrawal and will provide extra flights if required. In addition, as part of my policy of improving access to Ireland, I have recently given my approval for a number of new scheduled services which will be in operation for the coming summer season. These include a KLM service between Amsterdam and Cork, Loganair between Knock and Manchester, Alitalia between Milan-Rome and Dublin, Viva between Malaga and Dublin and Aeroflot between Miami-Washington and Shannon.
Air charter services between mainland Europe and Ireland will be well up on last year with particularly strong growth in charters from France. New agreements governing UK flights are likely to increase competition on these routes from which Ireland can benefit through back-tracking traffic. I have also had discussions with a number of North American airlines about their extending existing services or starting new services to Ireland.
Surface access from Britain is showing improvement on last year with Sealink Stena adding capacity on the central corridor through the introduction of a new vessel on the Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire route, while quality on the southern corridor is being upgraded by the reintroduction of theCeltic Pride I by Swansea Cork Ferries. No significant capacity changes over 1990 will apply on the continental corridor. Irish Ferries did endeavour late last year to obtain a third car ferry for the 1991 summer season, but these efforts did not prove successful. The company will, as in previous years, deploy a freight only vessel, in order to commit their two car ferries exclusively to tourist business during the peak period. My Department will continue to closely monitor capacity on this route.