Vol. 463 No. 8
19 Miss de Valera asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the plans, if any, he has to appoint a product development management board for each of the regional tourism organisations on the SFADCo model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7463/96]
In line with structures agreed with the European Commission, two independent product development management boards were established in 1994 to determine applications for assistance under the EU co-funded Operational Programme for Tourism 1994-99: one for the Bord Fáilte area and one for the SFADCo area. All applications for assistance are submitted for evaluation in the first instance to the appropriate regional tourism organisation or, in the case of the mid-west region, to Shannon Development whose functions include tourism development in that area. I have no current plans for revision in these structures.
Has the Minister received complaints from RTOs outside the SFADCo region about the diminution of their roles because of a lack of access to a product development board?
I receive an avalanche of complaints every day about different matters from people all over the country.
Are they about the Minister or his colleagues?
Are they about Deputy Ring?
I get very few complaints from Galway. I have not received any major complaints from RTOs in other areas about not having SFADCo at their disposal. The independence of the product board has been well evidenced in the spread of decisions throughout the country about various facilities.
