Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 30 Jan 1997

Vol. 474 No. 2

Written Answers. - Tourism Development Plan.

Síle de Valera

Question:

17 Miss de Valera asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade when the mid-term review of the national tourism development plan will be completed; if the results of the review will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2615/97]

Minister for Tourism and Trade (Mr. E. Kenny)

As part of the overall mid-term review of the Community Support Framework and in common with other operational programmes, the mid-term review of the Operational Programme for Tourism, 1994-99 has already commenced.

The review process of the tourism operational programmes began last year with the drawing up of detailed terms of reference for a mid-term evaluation, in consultation with the Department of Finance and the European Commission and the appointment by the national monitoring committee of a mid-term evaluator.

I understand that the mid-term evaluator's report is being finalised at present and that it is the intention to have it considered at a specially convened meeting of the national monitoring committee of the tourism operational programme at the end of February. The results of this consideration will then be fed into the overall CSF mid-term review process. This is to allow the Government and the European Commission to review the general thrust and direction of CSF programmes, to decide on any strategic changes required and to determine any inter programme re-allocations which might be required in the first instance prior to considering changes within individual programmes. The CSF review is due to be completed later this year.

Any changes arising from this review process which result in amendments to the operational programme for tourism will, of course, be made public.