Vol. 713 No. 3
6 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport if capital funding will be provided in 2011 to enable the development of phase one of the national sports campus; the estimated cost of this project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27251/10]
Planning permission has been obtained for phase 1 of the national sports campus. The planning permission includes provision for a multi-sport national indoor training centre to provide world-class training facilities for more than 20 sports; sports science and medical facilities; accommodation for sportsmen and women; all-weather synthetic pitches for community recreational access; and a national field sports training centre catering for rugby, soccer, Gaelic games and hockey.
It was estimated in late 2009 that the cost of this phase of the campus development will be approximately €104 million, excluding VAT and exclusions. However, because of the difficult budgetary situation facing the Government, it has not been possible to obtain the funding necessary to move forward with phase 1 of the national sports campus project at this time. In recognition of the current budgetary situation, my Department asked the NSCDA to produce a proposal for a reduced scheme with costings over a three year period. This proposal has recently been received and is under consideration in the context of the Department's multi-annual capital envelope and the 2011 Estimates process. Any allocation of funding in 2011 will be made as part of the normal Estimates and budgetary processes undertaken each year.
Is this five-year or ten-year planning permission? This project has been in the pipeline for a long time and the response of the Minister suggests there is no great confidence in respect of funding being available to make progress. If planning permission is for five years, is there a risk of running out of time? The process will then have to start again.
The Minister provided the cost and projections for the refurbished, modified version. Can the Minister provide the cost of the land purchased? What is the annual maintenance and running cost? There must be a running cost going nowhere while we are waiting for progress to happen.
The ongoing costs are limited because it is a small body. The allocation to the National Sports Campus Development Authority for this year is €7.754 million. This comprises over €4 million in current funding and €3.6 million in capital funding. Of the current allocation, day-to-day funding requirements amount to €1.6 million, including staff, and the provision of an operational subsidy to the national aquatic centre amounts to up to €1 million. These are the ongoing costs at the moment.
I do not have information on planning permission and I will revert to the Deputy on that point. All of the sporting bodies I met are enthusiastic about this project, particularly in respect of the need to provide a multisport national indoor training centre. It is remarkable that people like Derval O'Rourke manage to do so well without an indoor centre. I asked the authority to come up with a revised plan. One facility builds on another in an integrated fashion but we will examine the revised plan to see how much, if any, we can progress.
Many of our elite athletes are training outside Ireland. If we are to continue receiving kudos and being successful in athletics, we must examine the facilities. We spent some €114,000 on a consultants' report in regard to the Olympics. That was predicated on these facilities being available so we could get athletes into the country. There is no chance of that happening at this stage. Has this not been a terrible waste of an investment of €114,000 on the consultants' report if there is no chance of being able to capitalise on it?
To return to the question of the tourist sector, arising from that consultants' report what are the possibilities of getting people to holiday in Ireland based on the facilities here? They might come to encourage their own team, if we can get them here, but that appears to be lost because of the lack of progress on this issue.
It was a good idea at the time to do the consultants' report on the Olympics, and all is not yet lost because they are lobbying hard for the National Aquatic Centre to be used as a training centre by international teams and athletes in the lead-up to the 2012 Olympics. There has been an encouraging response because the pool has a reputation as one of Europe's foremost 50m swimming pool facilities. I mentioned earlier that the American juniors team were here but as well as that the national co-ordinator of the US synchronised swimming team visited it and they have confirmed that the team is definitively interested in training in the centre in the lead-up to the Games.
Belfield and UCD launched a bid also, as did the University of Limerick. I mention Belfield in particular because it would be able to tie in with the pool were it to be successful. It will probably not get a country doing all of its sports there but perhaps individual sports, particularly from some of the smaller countries. We may well be successful in that regard.
7 Deputy Damien English asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport her views regarding the negative impact on inward tourism of the loss of more than half of Irish travel agents in recent times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27179/10]
8 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport her plans and proposals, if any, to encourage the revival of the tourism sector; the degree to which she has met with or continues to meet with the stakeholders in the industry; if her attention has been drawn to the cost factors affecting the tourism industry; the action she has taken to address such issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27142/10]
15 Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport the number of survival actions recommended by the Tourism Renewal Group that have been implemented to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27152/10]
21 Deputy Pat Rabbitte asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport her projection for tourism figures in 2010; her views on whether it is feasible to obtain growth in the numbers of overseas visitors in view of the figures for the first three months of 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27253/10]
30 Deputy Seán Sherlock asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport the steps she has taken to protect the jobs in the tourism industry; her views on the continued steep decline in overseas tourism visitors here; her response to the report commissioned by her, The Report of the Tourism Renewal Group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27232/10]
41 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport if she has conducted a review into the impact of the tourism industry as a result of the eruption of the Eyjafjalljokull volcano in Iceland; the steps she has taken to support the industry in the wake of this crisis for tourism here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27237/10]
183 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport the discussions she has has with stakeholders in the tourism industry with a view to achieving more favourable conditions for the industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27487/10]
184 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport the nature, extent and level of submissions she has received from interest in the tourism sector; the extent to which such submissions are being acted upon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27488/10]
185 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport the steps she has taken or proposes to take to improve, enhance or increase opportunities in the tourism sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27489/10]
186 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport the steps she has taken to respond to the submissions received from the hotel, guesthouse and catering sectors in the context of incentivisation and competitiveness in the current economic climate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27490/10]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 8, 15, 21, 30, 41 and 183 to 186, inclusive, together.
These questions all relate to submissions from the hotels, the catering sector, the tourist industry and conditions for the industry.
My question is about travel agents, but I do not mind.
They are also about the effect of inward tourism.
Neither I nor the tourism agencies have a role in relation to Irish-based travel agents and tour operators. Licensing and bonding arrangements for such businesses come under the remit of the Commission for Aviation Regulation, for which my colleague, the Minister for Transport, has overall responsibility. While it is true that outbound tourism routes may play a role in supporting the viability of certain access routes, in the wider context of overall levels of access to Ireland I am advised that the impact of individual outbound operators is relatively marginal.
As I said in my response to the earlier priority question, the tourism figures to date reflect very difficult conditions, including economic uncertainty, bad weather and the Icelandic volcanic ash but similarly, as outlined in the same reply, it is now clear that the targets originally set for the year will be very difficult to meet. However, it is important to note that over 60% of holidaymakers normally arrive into Ireland between May and September. I am aware that the industry and the tourism agencies are seeking every available business.
Building on the renewal group's framework for action, budget 2010 recognised the tourism sector as a critical sector and provided for a 3% increase to over €153 million in the overall tourism services budget for 2010. This included maintaining the real level of investment in overseas marketing, as well as a significantly increased capital allocation for tourism product. Tourism was also included in cross-cutting measures to support enterprises and jobs, including the employment subsidy scheme and the credit review scheme. Additional specific measures, such as changes in VAT and the Golden Trekker rail travel initiative, are also helping the sector.
In line with the renewal group's framework for action, the Government, my Department and the tourism agencies are working extremely hard to assist the sector, to maximise business for Irish tourism and to ensure that the tourism agenda is in all relevant policies. Apart from the survival action relating to air travel tax, we have either implemented or are making good progress on the other four survival actions recommended by the renewal group.
Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland have built in renewal group recommendations to their business and marketing plans for 2010 and my officials are working with a range of other organisations to focus resources, achieve common objectives and maximise the impact on tourism.
Fáilte Ireland is working closely with businesses all over Ireland to increase their customer base, better manage costs, improve overall performance and sustain employment. In 2010, Fáilte Ireland is investing over €11 million in direct supports and advice for tourism enterprises.
In my response to an earlier priority question, I outlined details of overseas marketing activity and Tourism Ireland's priorities in that regard.
On the domestic front, Fáilte Ireland launched a €4 million promotional campaign to encourage holidaying at home this year. Investment in business, sporting and cultural events is also being increased. Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland are boosting promotion of business tourism in the build up to the official opening, in September, of the convention centre in Dublin. That facility, along with the new Aviva stadium, the O2 and the Grand Canal Theatre venues and Thomond Park, will further enhance Ireland's capacity to attract international events.
As regards engagement with tourism industry stakeholders, I am always interested in hearing their views and opinions and have responded in my contacts to any submissions received. Since my appointment, I have met the chairs and chief executives of the tourism agencies — Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and Shannon Development — as well as the main representative bodies in the tourism sector and the main airlines serving the island of Ireland. I have also had an opportunity to canvass the views of many other stakeholders at the many functions and events I have attended around the country. On Tuesday, I addressed the Tourism Ireland Innovation Summit, which took place in Farmleigh House.
Our response to the disruption to air travel following the volcanic eruptions in Iceland demonstrated the advantages of this ongoing relationship with tourism stakeholders. I convened a meeting in May with representatives of the tourism industry and the tourism agencies. Subsequently, all parties worked together, supported by Fáilte Ireland, to develop and agree a customer care charter to help reassure and improve confidence for both tourism enterprises and potential tourists.
Overall, I believe the Government is pursuing the right programmes and measures to support the continued development of tourism. We are working with the industry and the tourism agencies to position the tourism sector for recovery and growth as part of the Government's wider strategy for economic renewal.
I thank the Minister. I raise the issue of the Irish travel agents, and I am pleased the Minister accepted the question because it impacts on Irish tourism, although I am asked the reason I am interested in people going out of Ireland. There are a number of reasons, and the main one is the fact that Irish jobs are being lost when travel agents close. Two years ago there were approximately 420 travel agents but that figure is now down to 200. I understand 50 closed in recent months. That is a lot of jobs lost in an industry.
I made the point that aeroplanes leaving this country can come back full. The Minister said it is a marginal contribution towards inward tourism but the reality is that all the aeroplanes leaving here are going to destinations that are on scheduled routes. My point is that we would be tapping into a whole new market, and it is essential that we do not ignore that.
I was speaking to one travel agent recently who told me about the Spanish scheme for the over 55s about which we spoke about here on a number of occasions. It is a subsidised scheme. I understand one can travel to Malaga and some of the Spanish islands. It is a Government subsidised scheme. The local government contributes, say, €50 and the central government contributes another €50, and one gets the flight to Spain from Ireland or from any country, full board for a fortnight and two trips in the local area for €355, €395 or some ludicrously cheap price. Those aeroplanes are leaving here full of passengers, and the only requirement is that one must be over 55. The Minister can look forward to that.
Not for a while yet.
No, but she can look forward to it.
Irish people are lapping up those holidays. The aeroplanes are leaving here and they could be returning here full if we were to offer something similar. That would not be throwing good money after bad. It is not like a tax incentive. The money has to be spent by people. They would have to come here before they got the subsidy. That is an area we could examine. The Spanish Government is in a similar position to ours in that it invested heavily in tourism and it now finds the tourists are not as plentiful as they were in the past, but they have responded this way.
After much lobbying the Minister introduced the travel scheme for foreign visitors over the age of 66 but it is restricted to trains. The network of trains is very limited. Even if we began by extending that to the buses, it would make the scheme much more attractive. Despite the Minister's wishes in that regard, I cannot see the Queen taking the train to Sligo, but one never knows. She might take a bus if the buses were also available as part of the same scheme. We must examine innovative ideas like that and I ask the Minister to do that. I will come back in later to speak on another aspect of this question. As was said earlier, Her Majesty would qualify as a golden trekker. That anyone over 66 years of age visiting Ireland can avail of free rail travel is a wonderful and imaginative scheme. I would, however, prefer if people did not have to book it 48 hours in advance. While Northern Ireland does not have the same extensive rail network that we have, there are discussions about extending the scheme to there.
Already up to 4,500 visitors have availed of the golden trekker scheme. It is one for families to know about when they are inviting relatives from abroad. One can travel on Irish Rail services, the DART and the Luas. If her majesty does decide to come to Dún Laoghaire, we will get her into town on the DART and down to Killarney on the train.
She can get the Luas to Dundrum.
The main job of travel agents was to get people out of the country. Many people go on sun holidays to the south of Spain and the Canaries, areas with low populations. On the other end, we have the Irish tour operators bringing people into the country. However, with more Internet booking, people tend to choose their own activities.
Deputy Mitchell referred to the tour advice lists which Ireland is not on. However, the Lonely Planet guides list Ireland as one of the top ten friendliest countries in the world and Cork as one of the top ten cities in the world to visit. Those are more significant lists to be on than some of the others. Also Dublin is listed in the top ten for best night-life and Dingle as one of the most charming towns to visit. We do make the lists.
Yes, but not the country as a whole.
German tourists are still very dependent on travel agents and tour operators. The Germans take more and longer holidays — and I suspect spend more on them — than anyone else. That is why Germany has become a significant market for Irish tourism. It is now our third largest market. Reaching out to them is still largely done through tour operators. While the loss of the travel agency business in Ireland may have affected outgoing tourists, it has not had such an impact on incoming tourists.
The Deputy is correct on the significance of new destinations. That is a matter that can be addressed in partnership with the air carriers.
I agree the golden trekker scheme is excellent. Many people have been in touch with me about accessing it. While they do not have problems with the 48-hour notice, it would be more convenient if it could be instantaneous. It would also be convenient if it could be extended to the bus network. I spoke to a group from Clare who were under the impression it had already been extended to the bus network. It must be remembered such an extension would be very important for rural areas, many of which do not have rail connections.
Some other visitors were a little miffed that their husbands or wives who may be under 66 years had to pay. I appreciate the difficulties surrounding extending it in this regard but it might be considered in the future. It would be welcome also if it were extended to Northern Ireland. Some ask why it cannot be extended Europe-wide. It might be beneficial to examine what mutual arrangements can be arrived at in this regard.
The Asian market will become increasingly important to our tourism sector. We need to examine providing language facilities for tourists from this market. There is also a serious problem around visitors from this market getting visas to visit Ireland. I accept it falls under the remit of the Department of Justice and Law Reform but I believe the Minister must get it to address the matter sooner rather than later.
The visa issue for the new emerging markets is crucial as we need to be able to welcome them and Ireland has been designated as a preferred country of destination for holidaymakers. Some progress has been made on speeding up the provision of visas to those coming on group tours. I have been in contact with the Minister for Justice and Law Reform on this matter and will be discussing it next week. I will impress upon him the importance of dealing with it.
Travel agents are a dying breed yet they have a useful role in the tourism sector such as providing employment and inward tourism opportunities. What is really killing them off is the bonding arrangement set in place 40 years ago. I do not know how the figure for 4% of total turnover for the bond was reached. It can be a sizeable amount of cashflow which the travel agent must keep aside at all times. The figure also assumes and provides sufficient insurance cover to allow for all travel agents failing together. Such an event will never happen.
Things have also moved on since the bond was first introduced. With Internet bookings many people do not take out insurance on short trips or use their health insurance. The Commission for Aviation Regulation examined the bond system and described it as being out of date but made no recommendations for improvement. The Minister for Transport decided to wait for an EU response on this. However, the EU process can be very slow and, meanwhile, all the travel agents are closing down.
The bond arrangement is needless and onerous. I am all in favour of protecting the consumer but this is overprotection. A common fund should be established to which all travel agents could contribute which would afford travellers sufficient cover. This is what happens in all other industries, including banks. Will the Minister discuss this with the Minister for Transport? With so few travel agents in business, we will rue the day when the entire industry is gone. As an island country, we still need that type of service.
Road signage is a nightmare for many of our visitors, as well as ourselves. There is so much that could be done to improve it not just in Dublin city but across the country. An audit should be carried out to establish what kind of good signs are needed across the country.
Let us find out what is right and wrong. There are signs in km/h in some places and further up the same road other signs are in mph. They are all different sizes, shapes and makes. This is especially the case on roundabouts in the country. I have been known to drive around twice just to ensure I come off at the right place.
Only twice?
I have no wish to admit to my driving ability and my sense of direction.
The other issue is integrated ticketing. I appreciate it is a matter for another ministry but it is very important. Visitors are gobsmacked when they come here from other major European cities and realise they need four different tickets to travel by rail and bus and so on. These two issues are not very complicated. We have talked endlessly about integrated ticketing and it has not taken place or if it has, only in a minor or limited way. It is urgent that this should be put in place as quickly as possible.
These two issues are more related to transport. One of the measures for funding put in place this year in my previous Department, the Department of Social and Family Affairs, was to include a photograph on the PPS card. This will assist with integrated ticketing and it will be the first project to benefit from that measure.
I refer to the tour operators. At the time of the volcanic ash when there were delays, those who had booked through a travel agent were covered and protected by insurance, whereas those who had booked independently found it more difficult. Research in Fáilte Ireland has shown there are two things people like when they come to the country. First, to have access to a personal agent, information or someone who will help them and second, the availability of good maps. This relates to the Deputy's point about signage, especially in the case of the new roadways. There is concern among some of the major tourism attractions that the signs used to direct traffic off main roads are not in place on the newer motorways. Many parties are lobbying now to ensure their tourism destination is signposted. This may involve attractive commercial ventures which seek to be recognised by road signs. I accept these matters must be dealt with. Deputy Mitchell referred to the issue of bonding. This is something I must refer to my colleague, the Minister for Transport.
My final point relates to broadband. I realise I have raised this matter several times but unless we have better broadband we are discriminating against people, especially in rural areas. I refer in particular to bed and breakfast people to whom we referred last night and the previous night during Private Members' debate. These people are seriously disadvantaged for many other reasons already but if they do not have access to decent broadband they will be seriously out of the loop with regard to competing.
I refer to the extension of broadband as part of the broadband strategy. It is important that people have access to Wi-Fi in modern Ireland. However, people do not come to a country for Wi-Fi. I refer to the marketing in such sectors as food tourism, which has a strategy to attract people, and the new golf tourism brand. We should be able to market Ireland given the successes of both Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington. The Irish Open is due to take place in Killarney and both men will play, hopefully, with the same amount of sunshine as at present. This should be seen as a marketing opportunity for the whole world and it will attract a vast number of people. I refer to business tourism as well. In fairness, we are working on all the points raised by the tourism renewal group.
The issue of air tax is one that must be examined in the context of the budget and putting together the argument in this regard. Other issues such as broadband which the group mentioned are being pursued as well.
Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.
