Síle de Valera
Question:47 Miss de Valera asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade whether he favours the licensing of all tourist accommodation providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22029/96]
Written Answers. - Tourism Accommodation Licensing.
Batt O'Keeffe
Question:49 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if he intends to put in place statutory licensing of all tourist accommodation in this country. [21565/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 47 and 49 together.
I recently met representatives of the Irish Hotels Federation, the Town and Country Homes Association and the Irish Farm Holidays Association who presented a submission to me proposing a statutory licensing system for all tourism accommodation. At this meeting, I reitreated my view, already expressed in this House, that I did not favour the statutory licensing of all accommodation but undertook to have these proposals examined and indicated that I would be in touch with the associations again in due course.
It has been not only my view, but also that of my predecessor, that the statutory licensing of all tourist accommodation would not be practical nor would it necessarily lead to an improvement in standards to any great extent. In addition to possible difficulties as regards policing and prosecution, it could in fact also lead to a reduction in the accommodation bank available, particularly during the high season and at festival times.
At present, unapproved operators do not have access to official marketing through Bord Fáilte and the tourist information office network, nor do they have access to tax breaks or other subsidised finance schemes which are available to the approved sector. The pilot tax relief scheme for certain resort areas and the subsidised tourism loan schemes were carefully designed so that only approved operators would be eligible. Unapproved operators are, on the other hand, obliged to comply in the same way as the approved sector with official requirements, for example, in the areas of taxation, planning, fire and safety, and hygiene. My Department has been impressing on the relevant enforcement agencies the need for constant vigilance to ensure that their policing or inspection practices do not discriminate as between the approved and unapproved sectors.
The ideal solution would be for unapproved operators to become approved and I can confirm that both Bord Fáilte and the recognised approving bodies will be mounting an information campaign encouraging operators to seek approval and explaining clearly not only what is involved in terms of procedure, but also in terms of the benefits to be gained from being part of the approved tourist accommodation sector.