Jim Higgins
Question:1 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will fund the salaries of the two permanent staff employed by Tourist Victim Support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8201/02]
Ceisteanna – Questions. Priority Questions. - Tourist Victim Support Service.
The Tourist Victim Support Service, TVSS, is a private company, registered as a charity, which receives funding from a range of bodies in the public and private sectors. 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 which includes representatives of the umbrella Victim Support organisation, the TVSS full time co-ordinator, Bord Fáilte, Dublin Tourism, Dublin Corporation, the Irish Hotels Federation, Aer Rianta, the Garda Síochána, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation and other partners in the tourism sector. TVSS receives no funds from my Department but it has been in receipt of an annual grant of £15,000 from Bord Fáilte.
TVSS was established in 1994 and completed its seventh year of operation in 2001. Since its inception, the service has assisted more than 5,300 tourists. From the point of view of tourism, it is fair to say the service has been a success. It provides assistance to those in need and I understand that to a large extent clients seen by the service go home with an overall positive image of Ireland. I understand the number of referrals to TVSS by the Garda Síochána in 2001 decreased by 8%. I welcome the fact that there has been a gradual but steady reduction in the number of referrals since 1999. This may suggest that some of the experience gained from the TVSS system is being used by the mainstream Garda Síochána. However, as far as our visitors are concerned, there is no cause for complacency because there is no acceptable level of crime and one outrage is one too many.
TVSS has been campaigning for some time for an increase in the level of its funding. I understand that it made a presentation last month to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Tourism, Sport and Recreation. I have been informed that Bord Fáilte has recently agreed to increase its annual subvention to €25,394.69, equivalent to £20,000. This represents an increase of a third on the figure provided last year.
Additional InformationI understand the TVSS is attempting to increase sponsorship and I call on the many tourism enterprises who avail of or have access to the referral service to consider making a contribution or, as Bord Fáilte has done, to increase their current contribution to the funding of its activities if they wish to see it continue. It is important to emphasise that the most recent visitor attitudes survey by Bord Fáilte in 2001 confirms that safety and security are not issues for our visitors, with the great majority considering Ireland a satisfactory destination in this regard.
(Mayo): At the recent meeting mentioned by the Minister of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Sport and Recreation it was unanimously decided to recommend to the Minister, who would, it was hoped, recommend the same to Bord Fáilte, that the salaries of the two full time staff – that of the co-ordinator, €42,409 and that of the assistant co-ordinator, €16,741, for a total of £59,150 – should be borne in full. At present funding comes from a variety of different agencies but there is still a huge shortfall. Does the Minister accept that the company, which is a voluntary company, has looked after more than 5,000 victims since its inception, that it has given material, emotional and practical support across a range of areas and that when people come to Victim Support they are referred by the Garda, so it is accepted as an agency which fills a gap? There is an urgent need for 100% funding. The tourist victim support service in Amsterdam, which was set up at the same time as ours, receives its funding from central government, from local government and from the police. There is a real need to put the TVSS on a properly structured basis so that it does not need to come cap in hand to various agencies and organisations and also to the Government.
I am aware of the excellent work done by the TVSS. However, the matter of salaries is one for the organisation. My reading of this is that while a structure has been set up, it was also agreed that another assistant co-ordinator was needed from within its own ranks without the permission of those involved. It went ahead to make that appointment. An organisation cannot make extra appointments without permission. That is what the problem has been. It is proper that we should reconsider the position of Victim Support. I am happy that referrals are down by 8%. There is no question about the work it does but as I said, the matter of the salaries of the co-ordinator and assistant co-ordinator is one for themselves. However, I see the Deputy's point.
(Mayo): In the context of the relatively small decline of 8% in referrals, does the Minister accept that recently published figures from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Garda indicate that the figures for violent crime and assaults are up by a considerable amount? Does he accept that on the basis of the proportions of race-based attacks, we should expect a similar increase in the number of tourists attacked? This is something we do not like to broadcast. Does the Minister accept that the manner in which TVSS manages to disseminate a positive image of Ireland is a key consideration? This is due to the sensitive and practical way in which its staff deal with people. Examples include the cases of the German tourist murdered in County Meath, the Chinese student murdered recently and of course Guido Nasi the Italian student. Does the Minister accept that the amount being sought is a relative pittance when compared to the huge revenue contributed by tourism?
The amount of funding is not the problem. It is the structure that exists within the TVSS organisation. It is difficult for any organisation to say that it wants an extra assistant co-ordinator yet expects somebody else to pick up the tab.
I hope the figures mentioned by the Deputy have been reduced and I agree with what he said. However, there is already a very positive image of this country and the support received by tourists, particularly in rural Ireland. Dublin is one of the major European capitals with very few complaints in that area. Dublin and Ireland are safe places.