Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Mar 2001

Vol. 532 No. 1

Written Answers. - Tourist Victim Support Service.

Brendan Howlin

Question:

48 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the financial or other assistance his Department provides to the Tourist Victim Support Service; if he has any plans to increase such assistance in view of the report of a substantial increase in the number of reported attacks on tourists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6616/01]

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation (Dr. McDaid):

The Tourist Victim Support Service – TVSS – is a service run by the Victim Support organisation since 1994. It is based in Garda headquarters, Harcourt Street, in offices provided by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. It is overseen by an advisory board, representative of Victim Support, the TVSS full time co-ordinator, Bord Fáilte, Dublin Corporation, the Irish Hotels Federation, Aer Rianta, the Garda Síochána the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation and other partners in the tourism industry.

My Department does not provide any direct grant aid to TVSS, but the service does receive an annual grant of £15,000 from Bord Fáilte.

At the recent agm of TVSS, it was reported that referrals to the service decreased by 13% in 2000 largely due, it is believed, to the overall decrease in reported crime against tourists.