Tony Killeen
Question:4 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if he has satisfied himself with the work of Bord Fáilte in marketing Ireland abroad. [14034/95]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Marketing Ireland Abroad.
Noel Treacy
Question:19 Mr. N. Treacy asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if he has satisfied himself with the work of Bord Fáilte in marketing Ireland abroad. [14063/95]
Michael McDowell
Question:21 Mr. M. McDowell asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the progress, if any, to date in implementing the reorganisation proposals for Bord Fáilte. [14088/95]
Desmond J. O'Malley
Question:51 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the progress, if any, to date in implementing the reorganisation proposals for Bord Fáilte. [14089/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 4, 19, 21 and 51 together.
Significant progress has been made to date in the reorganisation of Bord Fáilte. A new mission statement has been agreed and a new organisational structure is being finalised. A new international marketing director with a proven track record in private industry now heads the international marketing division and a new general manager for Europe has been appointed. The board is currently recruiting up to 20 marketing executives and graduates to work in the development of overseas markets.
Almost 70 employees have left the organisation under the voluntary severance package which was agreed by the Government earlier this year.
In relation to the divesting of functions by the board, a contract is being negotiated, and should be in place shortly, with Tourism Quality Services Limited, who were selected, following a tendering process, to undertake the registration and grading functions. On the product approvals side a number of the key industry associations have been recognised by the board for the purpose of self-regulation.
The Tidy Towns competition is now being run by the Department of the Environment and a contract is being finalised with MAC publishing for the publication of the Discover Ireland brochure series. A steering group has been established to oversee the search for a partner for Gulliver — the electronic tourist information and reservations system developed jointly by Bord Fáilte and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.
The implementation of the recommendations of the AD Little review of Bord Fáilte has resulted in a fundamental restructuring of the organisation in terms of its future role and its relationship with the industry. The mandate for the new board is confirmed as international marketing and the organisation will be refocusing its resources on this key task while divesting itself of other non-core functions. The new structure reflects a concentration on three core priorities of selling and promoting Ireland overseas, helping the less mature elements of the industry to develop its marketing and product development capabilities and providing information for enhanced decision making by marketeers, investors and managers in the industry as well as Government. I am quite satisfied that the new direction for Bord Fáilte will result in the organisation having a more focused role in the promotion and development of Irish tourism thereby helping to increase Ireland's share of the international tourism market.
How does Board Fáilte's overseas marketing business operate in conjunction with the overseas tourism marketing initiative? In markets where both are active what is the relationship and is there some degree of overlap?
We do not want an overlap. The OTMI involves private sector finance as well as departmental and EU finance, on which a special committee sits to promote the four key areas to which I referred. The new international marketing director is analysing his brief and recently appointed a general manager for Europe and the US. It will be some time before we are clear on how he sees his role developing in existing markets where Bord Fáilte has personnel abroad. The point raised by the Deputy is valid and will be taken into account by the new marketing director and the board when they get down to serious business.
Will the Minister ensure that funding is available for Bord Fáilte to market in those areas where the OTMI is not active and that the State has a substantial input to the OTMI?
The last OTMI was chaired by the assistant secretary in the Department of Tourism and Trade and so had a strong involvement. In the next few weeks I will be discussing in bilateral talks with the Minister for Finance the Estimates for 1996 so that I will be able to answer the Deputy's question clearly later.
The Minister is probably aware I have been holidaying in his county for a number of years. This year I was entertained by reading the local provincial press in the area and found that a constituency and party colleague of his was extremely dissatisfied with Bord Fáilte's marketing of County Mayo. Does the Minister share that view and, if so, what action has he taken to ensure it does not continue?
Bord Fáilte does not market individual counties. That is a matter for the regional tourism organisations and local tourism organisations. Bord Fáilte's role is to market Ireland internationally and regional tourism organisations and various other groups encourage people to visit individual areas. That matter to which the Deputy referred was not about Bord Fáilte's marketing, it was about an estimate of numbers visiting the west.
Will the Minister agree that the success of Bord Fáilte's efforts at marketing Ireland as a holiday destination on the international tourism market will be greatly dependent on transport accessibility to this country from these markets. Time and again this has been identified as a major obstacle to the more rapid growth of the tourism industry. The small share of the American tourism market that Ireland succeeds in getting, compared with the number who come to Europe, is very small. Account will have to be taken of the new concern of tourism interests in the west about the fall off in the number of American tourists coming to the west compared with the number going to the east coast. What is the Minister for Tourism doing in relation to transport accessibility? I appreciate that is the individual responsibility of another Minister but there must be close co-operation between both to achieve our tourism targets.
Deputy Molloy is correct in that access is a key factor in the economic growth of this country, as an island nation. As the Deputy rightly pointed out, transport is a matter for the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications. There is a great deal of consultation between both Departments and ministries. I had proposals from a number of airlines in respect of the tourist potential that would arise from increased access to the country from the Continent and North America. Prior to the Washington conference, which was called by President Clinton, we agreed a strategy that if a new airline in the US were to indicate an interest — based on its commercial judgment — of flying new flights into Ireland we would talk to them seriously. Some contacts are taking place in that regard. I share the Deputy's view in respect of access to Ireland. If we are to get people to come here, of the calibre we want, it is essential to have as much access as possible at cheaply as possible. As I come from the west I understand the Deputy's concerns in respect of the points he made. We are working diligently on a number of proposals.
In relation to new American airlines offering to come to this country on the basis of their own commercial judgment, would the same regulations apply as at present where they are required to serve Shannon and Dublin?
If an airline wishes to fly into Ireland that decision is based on its own commercial judgment. We have said that if any such airline indicates an interest, based on such commercial judgment, we would talk to them seriously. Obviously, the concerns expressed by Deputy Killeen, Deputy Molloy and a whole range of Deputies would be taken into account.
I ask the Minister to be more vigorous, active and concerned about the lack of suitable transport to bring tourists to Ireland from America and other destinations. Our regional airports are grossly under-utilised because of the lack of scheduled services to them from the Continent. American visitors continuously complain about their frustration at the high cost and lack of direct access to Ireland. Very little seems to be done by the Government. The Minister for Tourism and Trade has a special responsibility in this area and should not sit back and leave it to the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications. The Government will have to be seen to be jointly active in securing cheaper direct access for tourists, particularly from the southern United States and other American destinations into this country. There is also a fall off in the numbers travelling to the west because of the overflying of Shannon.
These questions refer to the marking of Ireland abroad by Bord Fáilte.
But they are interconnected.
If the Deputy puts down a question directly to me in respect of the efforts being made by the Department of Tourism and Trade, as well as one to the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications we can give comprehensive answers concerning the work being done and, hopefully, the fruit that will result from such work.
I have put down questions to both Ministers, as the record will show, but optimistic responses have not been followed up by action on the ground. During the past 12 months little action has been taken and no improvement has taken place. The complaints are increasing in the west as the Minister must know and as Deputy Killeen found out when he went west and read about the serious concern in the local papers.
The Deputy is clearly dissatisfied with the Minister's reply. He does have a remedy as there are other ways of pursuing the matter.
Challenging the Minister publicly in the House.
There are other ways of doing that.
I have no problem answering Deputy Molloy in full but he and Deputy Killeen asked about marketing by Bord Fáilte.