Vol. 448 No. 8
4 Mr. Andrews asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the steps, if any, he intends to take to implement the consultants report on the future of Bord Fáilte; if he intends to implement the recommendations of this report in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2585/95]
I have already announced in the media and at recent meetings with the Tourism Council and Bord Fáilte staff, that I propose to press ahead with the implementation of the key findings in the Arthur D. Little Review of Bord Fáilte. It was right to commission a fundamental review of BFE in the light of the growing maturity of the Irish tourist industry. In the soundings I have taken to date, I have yet to hear any fundamental disagreement with the key findings of the consultants that Bord Fáilte should concentrate, in future, on its core activities of selling Ireland overseas, helping the less mature elements of the industry to develop and providing information to industry decision-makers.
A high level steering committee, comprising the Secretary of my Department, the chairman and the director general of Bord Fáilte, an Assistant Secretary in the Department of Finance and a senior consultant from A. D. Little, has been established to ensure that the changes are implemented fully and on target. The steering committee has met on six separate occasions and, with the assistance of a number of project teams, has now completed the analytical phase of its work in relation to the divestment of the non-core functions of BFE. A number of requests for proposals to carry out non-core functions will shortly issue.
Equally as important as getting the divestment programme right, is to bring about the internal cultural, organisational and staffing changes required to relaunch Bord Fáilte as a dynamic and vibrant agency for the next millennium. I know that the chairman, board and the director general, with the assistance of the steering committee, are fully committed to this process and it is receiving their full and urgent attention.
The Arthur D. Little report makes the point that Bord Fáilte provides value for money in Ireland. The report is organised in four main sections — the current status of BFE and tourism in Ireland, the need to refocus BFE on core activities, the actions required, and the organisational implications. Can the Minister say, in that context, what the future is for the people in Bord Fáilte. Is it his intention to examine the working practices of Bord Fáilte in the context of those people already employed there or is it his intention to look at the people employed there in the context of prospective redundancies and so on? There is a genuine air of uncertainty about the future of a number of people within the organisation. Perhaps the Minister would address that in the interests of the organisation which has been doing, and is generally perceived to be doing, a good job in the interests of Ireland's national image abroad.
Deputy Andrews has rightly seen that there is a deal of anxiety about the future of Bord Fáilte. I would like to ease that anxiety. I would like to see Bord Fáilte develop as quickly as possible into a new dynamic organisation concentrating on its core responsibility of marketing this country abroad. Quite a number of people in Bord Fáilte have given many years of dedicated work and have acquired much experience in the tourism business. I have already confirmed to the unions that there will not be compulsory redundancies and hope to be in a position to bring a memorandum on a severance package to Government in the next few weeks. The Deputy will also be aware that it is intended to recruit 20 new marketing consultants with ability to assist in the regenerated work that we hope Bord Fáilte will be able to deal with. I agree there was a degree of anxiety. I am very anxious to have this matter finalised and I am sensitive to the needs and experience of people who have worked in Bord Fáilte for many years. I hope that when we implement these changes everyone will understand it is for the betterment of the tourism industry as a whole.
There has not been general disagreement in the industry regarding the changes.
The industry was asked to respond to the Arthur D. Little proposals and, as the Minister said, they were received in a positive fashion. Will the Minister elaborate on the functions of his Minister of State and the Minister of State for Western Development in the work of Bord Fáilte and with the regional tourism organisations and whether there will be a conflict of work between the two Ministers of State?
I do not think so. Deputy Dempsey has tabled a question on the Minister of State for Western Development.
As a question is tabled it would be unfair to the Deputy who has tabled the question.
I have no wish to take from the substantial reply which I intend to make to Deputy Dempsey but I assure Deputy Andrews that there will be no conflict of interests between the respective responsibilities of Ministers.
Will the Minister outline his views on what would be considered the non-core responsibilities of Bord Fáilte? If Bord Fáilte is to be confined to its core function of promoting tourism in this country, what is the policy on the other activities for which it has been responsible as evident from the work of the regional tourism organisations?
Does the Deputy mean in regard to publicity material, brochures and so on?
In respect of tourism development work.
Bord Fáilte has obviously played a critical part in the development of the tourism industry to date. The changes recommended by Arthur D. Little covered areas such as product registration, product approvals, European Regional Development Fund tourism management, the production of domestic marketing and sales brochures and the Gulliver electronic information and reservation system.
I hope to bring about an even closer working relationship between the regional tourism organisations and Bord Fáilte in the development of our internal and national tourism product. That is a general line we are following.
