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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 Mar 1997

Vol. 475 No. 8

Written Answers. - Departmental Staff.

Willie O'Dea

Question:

34 Mr. O'Dea asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the reason for the 300 per cent increase in staff members in his Department; and the additional functions, if any, which have been taken over by him. [6036/97]

Since the Department of Tourism and Trade was established in January 1993, staff numbers have increased by 37 and not 300 per cent, with the increase being accounted for by additional staffing resources to tourism division in order to meet the demands of an expanding and increasingly important industry; appointment of a Minister of State in January 1995 with specific responsibility for domestic tourism and trade, business competitiveness and cost, and the tourism aspects of the Leader and agri-tourism programmes; establishment of a strategy and competitiveness unit in April 1995 in the Department to monitor key developments likely to impact on the strategic direction and competiveness of the tourism and trade sectors; strengthening of central staff support particularly to deal with personnel, finance and information technology following the gradual transfer of responsibilities for these matters to the new Department from the Departments of Transport, Energy and Communications and of Enterprise and Employment which previously held responsibility for the tourism and trade functions respectively.

My Department continues its establishment in 1993 to exercise lead responsibility for the formulation of national policies on tourism and trade matters and for monitoring the implementation of these policies.

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