Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 14 Jun 1995

Vol. 454 No. 4

Written Answers. - North-South Tourism Development.

Liam Fitzgerald

Question:

75 Mr. L. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the plans, if any, he has to develop joint training facilities and standards for Northern and Southern tourism development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10773/95]

Tony Killeen

Question:

201 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the plans, if any, he has to develop joint training facilities and standards for Northern and Southern tourism development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11036/95]

Minister for Tourism and Trade (Mr. E. Kenny)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 75 and 201 together.

CERT, our State tourism training agency, has active and on-going links with the tourism industry representative bodies in Northern Ireland, some of which extend over many years. These include the Training and Employment Agency, the Tourism and Hospitality Training Council, The Hotel and Catering Association and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

There are a wide range of established cross-Border tourism training activities which have attracted funding from the International Fund for Ireland and the EU INTERREG Programme (1989-1993).

Examples, involving CERT in association with Northern Ireland industry bodies in 1995, are:

Customer and Information Skills Programme for twenty tourist Information Officers from both parts of the island. The programme was run jointly by CERT and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board earlier this year.

Tourism and Customer Care Programme for persons working in tourism and tourism-related enterprises such as banks, bureaux de change and tourist attractions. The programme is run in partnership with the Tourism and Hospitality Training Council and it is expected that one hundred participants will take part.

Total Quality in Tourism Programme for hotels and other toruism businesses in the Border areas. The programme is aimed at senior managers to enhance their management competencies, particularly in the area of quality, and is being run in co-operation with the Tourism and Hospitality Training Council.

In the future, I foresee ever greater opportunities for co-operation in tourism-related training activities, North and South. Such possibilities will continue to be explored in the ongoing discussions which my Department has with its Northern Ireland equivalent.