Seán Haughey
Question:169 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the golf courses, whether new or existing, that are to receive public and European moneys between 1995 and the year 2000. [11311/95]
Written Answers. - Funding of Golf Courses.
Golf has become one of the fastest growing outdoor activities in Ireland over the past number of years. In this context, the development and promotion of golf tourism has been a major product success and this has resulted in an increasing number of overseas holiday-makers playing golf in Ireland. Numbers have risen from 95,000 in 1989, to over 170,000 in 1994.
Ireland now has a considerable number of golf courses, due to the unprecedented investment that has been made in our golfing product since 1989. Therefore, the emphasis now is on attracting more golfing visitors to Ireland through marketing the superb asset that has been created on the basis of quality, value for money, accessibility, and a friendly welcome. Accordingly, under the Operational Programme for Tourism 1994-1999, only a small amount of funds are being made available, on an exceptional basis, to assist the development of a limited number of new championship courses in remote areas where they could become the catalyst to encourage tourism development. The provision or improvement of visitor and learner facilities in Bord Fáilte branded courses, which have not received assistance for such improvements under the last Operational Programme, will also be supported.
Decisions on grant applications under the programme are made by autonomous management boards which include not only the State sector, but also independent professionals. The essential criteria on which these boards judge applications for assistance is their ability to attract foreign visitors, to increase tourist earnings, and to create sustainable long term employment.
It is, of course, impossible to say which golf courses might benefit from grant assistance under the operational programme until such time as the appropriate management board has made its decision on each individual application in line with the criteria laid down in the Programme. Accordingly, I have no function in the matter.