Vol. 436 No. 8
2 Mr. O'Malley asked the Taoiseach if he will take steps to institute reliable and accurate statistics for overseas tourism which would give the figures for genuine overseas tourists and would exclude Irish people returning home for short periods to visit their families and other factors that tend to exaggerate the tourist numbers.
I reject the implication in the Deputy's question that the figures for tourism are either unreliable of inaccurate. The overseas tourism and travel staistics published by the Central Statistics Office, the CSO, cover all visits and related expenditure by nonresidents to Ireland.
The exclusion of any grouping of nonresidents from these statistics for reasons of purpose of journey, nationality and/or country of birth, could not be considered. Any such exclusion would mean that the resulting statistics would not properly cover Ireland's international tourism and travel balance of payments transactions.
Overseas visitors to Ireland are classsified by route of travel, area of residence and reason of journey. The details published annually in respect of calendar years give separate estimates for four categories of reason for journey — tourist; business; visit to relatives and other.
The Minister of State accepts that by including the people I mention in the question, the statistics, to say the least, are misleading. Will he take account of a case that is now quite common, of someone resident here, whose family lives here but who works in Britain and comes home every weekend? That person, assuming that he takes two weeks' holidays in the year, is classified in the statistics as 50 British tourists. In fact, he is one Irishman commuting to and from Britain. That is one example of what I have in mind and it is grossly misleading. In the question I was referring not only to the CSO figures — I tabled this question to the Minister for Tourism and Trade — but also to the Bord Fáilte figures. Is the Minister of State aware that in the first week of January each year, through some miraculous inspiration, Bord Fáilte is able to publish the figures for the period up to 31 December of the previous year? While each year is considered a success the latest year is always the greatest of them all. How does the Minister of State square this with the fact that at least half the tourist hotels are for sale, if they can get a buyer?
I repeat that the figures are not misleading, they are accurate and can be broken down. They are compiled in accordance with international practice. There would be complaints in this House and internationally if we were to adopt a parochial approach to the figures which, as I said, can be broken down. I do not know what method Bord Fáilte uses in producing its figures at the beginning of each year but I am aware that the CSO supplies it with basic data. Bord Fáilte then produces its own figures which also cover Northern Ireland. I should say that there is little difference in the figures produced by the CSO and Bord Fáilte. As I said, the figures are accurate and reliable. Deputy O'Malley mentioned the person who travels back and forth every weekend from Britain. Our definition is in accordance with the international definition. The figures compiled by the CSO cover mainly the international tourism and travel balance of payments transactions which are accurate. Those who commute back and forth from Britain spend money here. That is the purpose of the CSO keeping statistics, Bord Fáilte may have other reasons for doing so.
Does the Minister of State agree, in regard to the example I gave which he appears not to dispute, that the man in question who travels to and from this country 50 times a year is classified in these statistics as 50 British tourists, as someone who enters the country 50 times from Britain, which is misleading? In fact, he is one Irish resident who commutes 50 times during the year.
We are having repetition.
Therefore, the statistics cannot be reliable and are not comparable with those compiled in other countries.
I know the point the Deputy is making but I repeat that our statistics are compiled in accordance with international practice. There is no precedent internationally for excluding the persons mentioned by the Deputy. That person would probably come under the category of "visiting relative" and is classified in the annual report on tourism and travel statistics. For the Deputy's information, the number of visiting relatives has been falling; from 37 per cent to 29 per cent during the period 1989-92.
Will the Minister state the difference between an emigrant and an immigrant and a tourist for statistical purposes? Can he confirm that the Minister for Tourism and Trade, Deputy McCreevy, a regular traveller, is a tourist statistic at this stage?
Correct.
He is just like everyone else who moves in and out of the country.
Cheltenham.
The Government are all tourist statistics.
They spend a few pounds.
In both directions. As I said, the figures are compiled in accordance with international definitions and anybody who leaves the country and returns for more than 24 hours is classified as a tourist.
I seek clarification from the Minister of State. Is he saying that we cannot alter the way in which the information is gathered or that we have chosen not to because it is compiled in accordance with international practice? Is the Minister of State aware there is a grave danger if the figures provided to people involved in the tourism business and in local organisations who are trying to develop a tourism industry are misleading that, inevitably it will have a negative impact?
There would be distortion if we did not adhere to international practice.
Why?
If we exclude certain groupings from our tourist figures who are regarded internationally as tourists then there would be distortion and we would not be comparing like with like. As I said, the annual report on overseas tourism and travel statistics published by the CSO provides a breakdown of the figures.
If one does not wish to define people who visit relatives as tourists, one only has to extract the number of such people from the annual report. There is a breakdown and if people want to use figures for particular purposes they can do so. The role of the Central Statistics Office is to supply statistics accurately and in accordance with international practice. We can argue as to whether the figures are right or wrong and which figures should be included, but I reject any implication that the CSO is distorting them or giving inaccurate figures.
What is the basis for international practice? Is there any agency that lays this down?
I understand that the World Tourism Organisation defines it.
We now come to deal with questions nominated for priority to which a strict time limit applies under our Standing Orders.
