I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 9, inclusive, 13, 14, 17, 22, 51, 54, 148, 156 and 164 together.
Official CSO figures are not yet available for overseas visitor numbers and revenue earnings in 2001, nor are there any reliable figures available on the number of cancellations or bed nights lost due to the foot and mouth crisis. Bord Fáilte originally estimated a potential loss this year of 14% in the number of overseas visitors on the basis of initial assessments of the possible impact of foot and mouth restrictions on tourism, when compared to the 2000 outcome of 6.4 million, equivalent to a reduction in revenue of 13%. It will be some time before the board will be in a position to confirm those estimates and the impact on them of Ireland being able to announce that it was fully open for business well in advance of the peak season.
More recent reports from the industry and through a survey commissioned by CERT suggest that while there has been an improvement in business and forward bookings in recent weeks after the lifting of the internal foot and mouth disease control measures, business could still be down this year on 2000. The CERT survey showed that the majority of establishments indicated no change in numbers employed, with operators preferring to reduce the number of hours worked by staff rather than letting them go. Bord Fáilte's projections of industry losses may well prove to be pessimistic as they do not take into account the impact of the incremental marketing activities being undertaken and the extent to which business may rebound later this year.
Since the onset of the foot and mouth emergency I have taken a range of measures together with my Department and Bord Fáilte to help offset the adverse impact on the tourism industry. In the interests of time I will not go through the measures which I have stated previously. The measures proved successful and the country has now returned to normality in terms of its attraction to visitors. All the State's cultural and heritage sites have reopened and there is an open welcome to visitors from home and overseas, subject to appropriate precautionary measures being taken to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease.
A major tourism marketing reassurance campaign, with a total budget of £10 million, has been designed by Bord Fáilte in consultation with the industry and is under way in key markets. The campaign consists of special media advertising, trade reassurance measures and special promotional visits, including my own recent visit to the United State. Details of the campaign and the actions envisaged in key source markets are available directly from Bord Fáilte.
The reassurance campaign has been put together with the assistance of an additional special Exchequer contribution of £7 million. These actions are incremental to the 2001 budget previously approved for Bord Fáilte which represented the largest ever level of State funding for tourism marketing and brings the total 2001 Exchequer provision for tourism marketing and promotion to £67 million. When the reassurance campaign is taken into account the tourism marketing budget in 2001 represents an increase of approximately £17 million on last years' budget.
At the last North-South Ministerial Council in tourism sectoral format held in Letterkenny on 30 March, I and my northern counterpart, Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, had a discussion on the implications of the FMD emergency for the tourism industry, North and South. We agreed to keep the situation under review and to consider the possibility of joint marketing promotions in the future.
I am aware of the measures announced in Northern Ireland on 21 May, from which certain tourism operators adversely affected by the foot and mouth disease crisis, could benefit. While there have been some calls for similar relief measures here, the main focus of industry attention has been to secure extra Exchequer marketing funds and the removal of the more damaging foot and mouth disease advice-control measures. My appeal to the banks drew a welcome response from the Irish Bankers' Federation on 30 March indicating their commitment to give careful and sympathetic consideration to requests for support from those business customers who encounter financial difficulties. The Department of Finance has also confirmed that in so far as particular cash flow problems arise for individual businesses, the Revenue Commissioners, as part of normal arrangements, will look sympathetically at payment arrangements on a case by case basis.
I will keep the overall market under close review with the objective of ensuring that no unnecessary medium to long-term damage is done to the tourism industry, which is now so important in economic terms. The tourism industry has dealt successfully with crises in the past and is a resilient industry. With the help of the actions I have taken and through the industry's efforts, we can overcome this temporary setback and return to a growth pattern again next year.