Vol. 495 No. 5
45 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the studies, if any, his Department has undertaken of the potential consequences for tourism development of splitting the country into two separate regions for the next round of EU Structural Funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20436/98]
My Department has produced a discussion paper on strategy for tourism development for the next round of EU Structural Funds. This paper suggests an outline for a new, but considerably refocused, Operational Programme for Tourism, again with subprogrammes covering the three key areas of product development, marketing and training.
The Department has not, however, to date undertaken or commissioned any specific studies on potential implications for tourism development of the proposed division of the country into two separate regions for the next round of EU Structural Funds.
However, building on the success achieved by Irish tourism to date, the new direction suggested in the discussion paper for support for product development is founded on a selective approach based on environmentally sensitive, sustainable, tourism and regional development. By its nature, such an approach would favour projects for those areas which are currently underdeveloped for tourism, thereby spreading development and relieving tourism congestion in peak periods.
This approach can be accommodated on either the basis of two separate regions or existing arrangements, using selective application of possible EU incentives. Suggested support for international tourism destination marketing and training, as envisaged in the decision paper will continue to involve co-funding from the EU, the State and the private sector, and could similarly be accommodated in the context of the relative future roles of these three parties.
The implications of either existing arrangements or any new regional basis cannot be estimated with any degree of accuracy, however, until the Commission has finalised its position on overall funding and priorities for EU expenditure for the next Community Support Framework for Ireland.
