Vol. 472 No. 1
53 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the steps, if any, he intends to take to avoid the situation where the Irish tourism industry is forced to search abroad for skilled labour; and the policy measures, if any, he intends to introduce to improve the situation [22032/96]
In reply to similar questions on this subject on 17 October I outlined a range of policy measures being taken to improve training and recruitment in the tourism sector. The CERT research report on successful recruitment and staff retention in tourism, launched earlier this year, sets out clearly the factors which need to be considered by tourism businesses in their approach to designing an attractive job and career package that leads to successful recruitment and retention of staff. This includes a reasonable level of pay and conditions, improved staff-management relations and the development of attractive career paths.
It is encouraging to note that the industry representative associations and individual businesses in tourism are already conscious of the competitive staff recruitment environment which they face. Indeed, as the Minister stated in an earlier reply, the Irish Hotels Federation will shortly launch a programme to highlight the attractiveness of careers within the hotel and guesthouse sector.
CERT, in conjunction with the industry, has taken steps already to increase training places and to improve the image of the industry, including direct training initiatives which will provide approximately 600 additional training places for full-time craft and unemployed programmes to supplement those provided in Department of Education colleges.
CERT mounts nationwide publicity and promotion campaigns to attract school-leavers and unemployed adults into training. These include media compaigns, vacancies on Aertel, workshops for career guidance counsellors, career talks in schools and career exhibitions. At present a national campaign is being planned for 1997 to target some 6,000 new recruits. Employers will be asked to help tackle the image problem. The aim of the campaign is to position tourism as a first choice career and to promote employment packages that support this image. Already, rates of pay to CERT graduates during 1996 have been substantially higher than in previous years, and this can only serve to enhance the image of the industry.
In 1995 CERT set up a national recruitment committee representative of industry bodies to co-ordinate and implement local promotion campaigns by industry. The work of this committee is continuing and these promotion campaigns are being extended country wide.
Earlier this year, CERT launched a new "Trainers in Industry" programme which will create up to 2,000 formally accredited trainers in Irish tourism companies by 1999. This will mean direct training by CERT is backed up by a substantial increase in training carried out by the industry itself and means that the industry will take greater responsibility for the development of its own workforce. In addition, a new CERT-National Tourism Certification Board initiative will provide "on the job" training and certification at elementary level for all skill categories in the industry.
55 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the number of overseas visitors to Ireland from Great Britain since 1992; the expected figures for 1996 and 1997; the issues which may influence such visitors from Great Britain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21962/96]
Tourism from Great Britain to Ireland is currently enjoying a high level of growth, as evidenced in the data produced by the Central Statistics Office which indicate that the total number of British visitors to Ireland since 1992 was as follows: 1992, 1.758 million; 1993, 1.887 million; 1994, 2,087 million; 1995, 2.365 million.
Final figures are not yet available for 1996 but Bord Fáilte is projecting the number of British visitors as 2.55 million. While targets for 1997 are not yet finalised, Bord Fáilte indicates at this stage that it will be seeking an increase next year of up to 9 per cent in British visitors.
The recent launch of the new marketing strategy, "Tourism Brand Ireland" in conjunction with the overseas tourism marketing initiative is expected to further impact on the performance of all of Ireland's main markets including Great Britain. Bord Fáilte has indicated that the outlook for Britain is positive for next year. However, factors such as the economic situation in Britain and the situation in Northern Ireland remain issues with potential to enchance or diminish prospects depending on emerging developments.
