Ministerial responsibility for fire safety, including the formulation of regulations and guidelines, comes under the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Dempsey. I take it the Deputy is referring to the guidelines entitled Fire Safety in Guest Accommodation, issued by that Department in 2001.
The safety of guests in tourist accommodation is of vital importance to all involved in the tourism industry and my Department endorses all efforts to ensure that the highest possible standards are set and enforced. I have long held the view that the tourist experience in guesthouse and bed and breakfast accommodation is a unique feature of an Irish holiday for many overseas visitors. Adherence to high standards, including those relating to fire safety, can only serve to enhance such accommodation and make it more attractive and safe for the increasingly discerning tourist.
The core objective of the recently launched Bord Fáilte Éireann's Tourism Product Development Scheme, 2000-2006, is to improve the spatial spread of tourism by focusing on less developed tourism areas. However, given the current level and range of tourist accommodation, there is no measure within the scheme to grant-aid such facilities, including assistance towards any expenses incurred by accommodation providers along the lines indicated by the Deputy.
