Skip to main content
Normal View

Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 5 Oct 2021

Vol. 1012 No. 1

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions

Question Nos. 1 and 4 have been reversed so we will commence with Deputy Ó Snodaigh.

Cúrsaí Gaeilge

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

4. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán an bhfaca sí an moladh atá déanta ag Comhchoiste Oireachtais na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta agus Phobal Labhartha na Gaeilge ina thuairisc maidir le ‘Todhchaí na gColáistí Samhraidh agus an tacaíocht atá á hiarraidh ina leith’, go háirithe moladh a trí, a éilíonn ciste cobhsaíochta láithreach chun tacú le cobhsaíocht na hearnála le linn phaindéim an choróinvíris, mar a soláthraíodh anuraidh; agus cén fáth nár soláthraíodh ciste cobhsaíochta nó cúitimh don earnáil go fóill nó le linn an tsamhraidh atá díreach thart. [48284/21]

Baineann an cheist seo leis an tuairisc ó mo choiste féin, an Comhchoiste Oireachtais na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta agus Phobal Labhartha na Gaeilge, dar teideal Todhchaí na gColáistí Samhraidh agus an Tacaíocht atá á hIarraidh ina Leith. Seoladh an tuairisc seo chuig gach uile Comhalta an tseachtain seo caite. Tamall de sheachtainí ó shin, sheol muid na moltaí chuig an Aire, chuig an Aire Airgeadais agus chuig an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Chambers, chun cinnte a dhéanamh go raibh siad ar an eolas faoi na moltaí ionas go mbeidh siad curtha san áireamh sa bhuiséad. Tá súil agam go mbeidh an tAire Stáit ábalta freagra a thabhairt dom ar an gceist seo.

Ar dtús báire, ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an Teachta agus leis an gComhchoiste as an tuarascáil chuimsitheach seo a chuir i dtoll a chéile.

Is cinnte go bhfuil tábhacht ar leith le hearnáil na gcoláistí samhraidh sa Ghaeltacht, idir na deiseanna foghlama agus saibhrithe teanga a thugann siad do dhaoine óga, agus an teacht isteach luachmhar do na teaghlaigh agus pobail Ghaeltachta atá ag brath ar an ioncam sin. Mar aitheantas praiticiúil ar thábhacht na hearnála beidh a fhios ag an Teach go ndéanann mo Roinn infheistíocht bhliantúil ar fiú os cionn €4 milliún é ar leas na hearnála via scéim na bhfoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge de chuid mo Roinne. Ina theannta sin, cuireadh tús roinnt blianta ó shin le bearta breise faoi leith ar leas na hearnála ar nós DEIS Gaeltachta agus ERASMUS Gaeltachta. Tá tuilleadh eolais ar fáil faoin raon oibre seo ar fad ar shuíomh mo Roinne.

Ós rud é go mbaineann sé le gnóthaí Covid-19, mar is eol don Teachta, d’fhógair mé cheana pacáiste maoinithe méadaithe ar fiú €2.2 milliún é do na mná tí agus na teaghlaigh Ghaeltachta i mbliana mar aitheantas ar an mbealach tábhachtach a chuireann siad leis an earnáil. Ina theannta sin, d’fhógair mé ciste faoi leith le gairid ar fiú thart ar €240,000 do na hallaí pobail Ghaeltachta a úsáideann na coláistí samhraidh de ghnáth. Is maoiniú tábhachtach breise é seo mar aitheantas ar an obair fhónta a dhéanann lucht na hallaí go deonach den chuid is mó agus an tábhacht atá leo don earnáil.

Maidir leis na coláistí iad féin, tá go leor oibre déanta ag feidhmeannaigh mo Roinne le roinnt míonna anuas i gcomhar le scáthghrúpa na gcoláistí, Comhchoiste Náisiúnta na gColáistí Samhraidh, CONCOS, agus leis na coláistí féin ar mhaithe le scéim chuí a fhorbairt chun earnáil na gcoláistí samhraidh a chobhsú. Chun go mbeifí in ann an cur chuige is fearr is féidir a aimsiú, tugadh faoi roinnt taighde faoi leith faoinar scaipeadh ceistneoir faoin ábhar ar gach coláiste atá bainteach leis an gcóras.

Tá an cheist níos casta i mbliana de bharr ioncam a bheith ag cuid de na coláistí ó fhoinsí eile nach raibh ar fáil dóibh anuraidh. San áireamh seo, tá ioncam ó scéimeanna eile de chuid an Stáit a bunaíodh de bharr na paindéime agus ioncam ó chúrsaí ar líne, go háirithe cúrsaí dírithe ar ábhar oidí. Mar sin féin, tá an obair thaighde agus anailíse réamhluaite beagnach críochnaithe agus tá súil agam an tríú beart a fhógairt go foirmiúil gan rómhoill eile ar mhaithe le leas foriomlán an chórais agus cheantair na Gaeltachta.

Is féidir leis an Teachta a bheith cinnte de go leanfaidh mo Roinn ag faire amach ar na bealaí a bhféadfaí cabhrú leis an earnáil, mar atá déanta ag an Roinn ó bunaíodh córas na gcoláistí Gaeilge.

Tá aitheantas ag dul leis an Aire Stáit, dar ndóigh, agus leis an Rialtas as an mbeartas a rinne siad maidir le hallaí pobail agus mná tí tar éis feachtas uathu sin ag lorg cuidithe. Sa chás seo, is iad na coláistí samhraidh féin atá, i roinnt cásanna, i ngéarchéim toisc gur gá dóibh airgead a chaitheamh bliain i ndiaidh bliana agus gan aon teacht isteach acu. Is éarlais a bhí in aon airgead a bhí acu agus bhí orthu é a íoc ar ais. Tugadh roinnt cuidithe dóibh in 2020 ach in 2021, ní raibh aon ioncam ann. Má tá rúnaíocht nó fógraíocht i gceist nó má tá duine ag freagairt an fhóin agus ag glacadh le bookings ar áit sna coláistí samhraidh, tá gá le hairgead. Ní suim mhór atá i gceist i gcomparáid leis na hearnálacha eile a bhfuair cuidiú le linn na paindéime. Is ceann de na heagrais iad na coláistí samhraidh agus ba chóir go mbeadh cuidiú éigin ar fáil do na heagrais seo.

Bhí teagmháil rialta ag mo Roinn leis na hionadaithe ó na coláistí agus go háirithe leis an scátheagraíocht, Comhchoiste Náisiúnta na gColáistí Samhraidh, CONCOS. Cuireann mo Roinn deontas reáchtála ar fáil do CONCOS gach bliain ar mhaithe le cabhrú tuilleadh le hearnáil na gcoláistí samhraidh. Tuigim go maith na deacrachtaí atá ag cuid de na coláistí i mbliana de bharr nach bhféadfaí cúrsaí samhraidh dul ar aghaidh don dara bliain as a chéile. Tá go leor oibre déanta ag feidhmeanna Roinne le roinnt bliana anuas, i gcomhar leis na coláistí, ar mhaithe le scéim chuí a fhorbairt chun earnáil na gcoláistí samhraidh a chosaint. Táimid ag iarraidh an próiseas seo a chríochnú anois agus beidh an t-eolas ag teacht amach ina dhiaidh sin.

Is blianta as an ngnáth atá ann ach bhí CONCOS agus Gael Linn os comhair an chomhchoiste agus bhí eolas eile curtha isteach. Tháinig 22 moladh as an méid a bhí le rá acu. Ina measc sin, bhí gá cúnamh a thabhairt dóibh toisc go raibh roinnt acu i mbaol dúnadh toisc nach raibh aon ioncam ceart acu le dhá bhliain anuas. Ba mhór an trua é sin. Tá a lán eile gur féidir linn a dhéanamh. Ba chóir go mbeimis ag ardú na ndeontas atá ar fáil i bhfad oiread níos mó ná mar atá. Caithfimid aitheantas a thabhairt don obair atá déanta acu agus seasamh isteach agus cuidiú, má tá cuidiú de dhíth. Sin a dúirt CONCOS leis an gcoiste nuair a bhí sé os ár gcomhair níos luaithe i mbliana. Tá súil agam go dtabharfaidh an tAire Stáit éisteacht leis an méid atá sa tuairisc sin agus leis an méid a bhí le rá agus an méid atá á rá ag CONCOS agus go mbeidh toradh maith an tseachtain seo chugainn nuair a bheidh an buiséad ann.

Tá próiseas agus struchtúr ann idir an Roinn agus CONCOS chun an fhadhb seo a chríochnú, agus beidh réiteach ann idir gach páirtí. Mar a thuigfeadh an Teachta, tá an cheist níos casta i mbliana do na coláistí de bharr ioncam a bheith ag cuid de na coláistí ó fhoinsí eile nach raibh ar fáil anuraidh. Mar chuid den taighde a tugadh faoi le tamall anuas, chuir an Roinn ceistneoir faoin ábhar chuig gach coláiste atá bainteach leis an gcóras. Tá an obair thaighde agus anailíse beagnach críochnaithe, agus tá súil agam an tríú beart a fhógairt go foirmiúil gan rómhoill eile ar mhaithe le leas foriomlán an chórais agus cheantair na Gaeltachta.

Arts Policy

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Question:

2. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her attention has been drawn to the recommendations of an organisation (details supplied) in its pre-budget 2022 submission; the recommendations from the submission she would support; the recommendations that are deliverable within the term of Thirty-third Dáil; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47786/21]

The National Campaign for the Arts, NCFA, has put together quite a substantial document which it is hoping the Minister will consider in the budgetary process. I am interested in hearing the Minister's reflections on that budgetary submission and her vision for the future of the arts which, as she will appreciate, has gone through a hellish 20 months.

I wish to advise the Deputy that the organisation to which he refers has sent copies of its pre-budget submission for 2022 to me and to my officials. I am familiar with the recommendations made by the organisation. Budget 2022 will be announced on 12 October 2021.

A number of the recommendations listed in the pre-budget submission that come within the remit of my Department are also contained in the arts and culture recovery task force report, Life Worth Living, published in November 2020, which outlined a vision for the arts and culture sector which I firmly support. The recommendations included a proposal to pilot a basic income scheme for a three-year period in the arts, culture, audiovisual, live performance and events sectors. Other recommendations relate to increased funding to existing programmes and agencies.

As part of the Economic Recovery Plan launched on 1 June 2021, the Government committed to bringing forward a proposal in response to the task force recommendation for a basic guaranteed income pilot scheme for artists. I established an oversight group with the remit of addressing the outstanding recommendations of the Life Worth Living report. The oversight group was asked to prioritise the manner in which a basic guaranteed income pilot scheme for artists could be delivered, and I am currently considering the optimal mechanism to take this important measure forward.

As the Deputy will be aware, the programme for Government committed to continue to reform and improve the budgetary process to enhance Ireland’s budgetary framework. The budgetary reforms introduced in recent years, including performance budgeting and equality budgeting, are focused on providing the evidence base to support the efficient and effective delivery of services that have a positive impact on people's lives. This work is being further enhanced with the development of the well-being framework for Ireland.

As we emerge from the pandemic, I am committed to supporting the long-term sustainability of the arts and culture sectors, and that remains my focus during the ongoing budget negotiations. We have a unique opportunity to achieve such sustainability in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The arts have been and continue to be among the most negatively impacted sectors, and in this context I am focused on the recovery and future of the culture sector. I can inform the Deputy that both I and my Department's officials meet regularly with representatives of the organisation to which he refers, and I am meeting them tomorrow to discuss these exact matters.

I am delighted to hear that and know they will impress on the Minister the stark findings contained in their report. The latest analysis indicates that two thirds of workers in the sector are earning less than €20,000 per year, 60% of artists and arts workers have neither health insurance nor private pensions, and 74% of performing artists and creative practitioners are reliant on another source of income. The Arts Council reports that 48% of professional artists have considered abandoning their career in the arts over the past year, with lack of income and financial pressures being cited by 70% of them as the main reason.

Another stark finding which I am sure the Minister will be discussing tomorrow is that, a decade on from the financial crisis, Government investment in the bodies that underwrite the artistic output of the nation, including the Arts Council, Culture Ireland, Creative Ireland and others, has barely recovered. Ireland continues to languish on the bottom rung in terms of investment in culture in Europe. When does the Minister envisage we can move on from the firefighting and the recovery from disaster of the past 20 months and reach the level of funding that used to be in place prior to the economic crash of ten years ago?

I acknowledge it has been an incredibly tough time for all those who work in the arts and culture sector. Effectively, they have been unable to do what they do best, to do what they love and to earn a living. The Deputy may argue that they languish on the bottom rung, but the fact I secured a commitment from Government for a basic guaranteed income pilot scheme, which was the number one recommendation of the arts recovery task force, shows my commitment as Minister with responsibility for arts and culture. I have a vision and I understand that, by its very nature, work in this sector means there are lull periods when artists need to create, and the pilot scheme is a recognition of that. I would also point out that in 2021 I allocated a record €130 million to the Arts Council to provide for the sector. The council is the agency through which Government support for the arts sector is delivered. Building on this record allocation, increased funding for the Arts Council will be considered in the context of the budget Estimates, and negotiations are ongoing in that regard.

I appreciate what the Minister is saying, but the NCFA document argues that it could take until 2024 to recover from the past 20 months in what is already a particularly precarious sector. I am seeking a commitment from the Minister not just to deal with what has happened in the past year and a half but to deal with the long-term situation. It is a source of frustration to the arts community that whenever Ireland is marketed abroad as a tourist destination, the icons put forward from our history are always from the arts community - the poets, musicians and dancers - but funding for the arts has been especially weak.

Yes, the Minister has been engaging with the National Campaign for the Arts and that is to her credit, and she is meeting its representatives tomorrow, but it is not just about recovering from the past 20 months. It is about the underlying under-funding issues that have always been prevalent, and a vision to restore that into the future.

There is where we are in absolute agreement. On numerous occasions in just over a year since becoming Minister, I have pointed out that my focus is not only on sustaining artists during this very difficult time. We are a nation which talks so much about valuing the arts and now is the time for us to put our money where our mouth is. If there was one lesson to be learned during the pandemic of the past 18 months, it was how the arts go to the very core of our being as a nation and I deeply value that. It will not just be words from me. That is why I fought to get that commitment in the basic income guarantee pilot because it is about the vision for beyond Covid and beyond the supports that I am putting in place. I am absolutely determined to support them beyond Covid. That is where my focus is.

Sports Facilities

Gary Gannon

Question:

3. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her views on the situation in relation to a stadium (details supplied); and if she will consider providing the necessary funds to redevelop the stadium. [48382/21]

As I hope the Minister of State is aware, there is a dearth of quality stadiums not only in the country but in Dublin and, from my perspective, particularly on the north side of the capital. I am asking for the Minster of State's views on the retention of Tolka Park as a stadium and on its redevelopment. Can we save it from the sword of Damocles under which it stands, where it is in the position of being sold by Dublin City Council?

Future development plans for the facility referred to by the Deputy are a matter in the first instance for Dublin City Council as the owners of the stadium. In terms of my role, my Department provides grant assistance for sporting facilities through the sports capital and equipment programme, SCEP, and the large scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF.

Under the SCEP, grants of up to €300,000 are available to community organisations, sports clubs, national governing bodies of sport and local authorities. The stadium referred to by the Deputy received a provisional allocation of €71,000 under the 2018 round of the programme but this has yet to be drawn down.

The latest round of the SCEP closed for applications on 1 March. Assessment work is continuing on other grants. The national sports policy published in 2018 provided for the establishment of the LSSIF. The aim of the fund is to provide support for larger sports facilities where the Exchequer investment is greater than the maximum amount available under the SCEP. The national development plan provided a capital allocation of at least €100 million and approximately €86 million has been allocated of which €918,750 was awarded to Dublin City Council towards the design cost for the redevelopment of Dalymount stadium. It is proposed that the redeveloped Dalymount Park will be home to both Bohemian FC and Shelbourne FC. As the Deputy will be aware, Shelbourne FC are the current main users of the Tolka Park facility.

While it is not proposed to open the LSSIF for new applications at present, we are undertaking a review of the LSSIF which is expected to be complete in the near future. This will look to progress on all existing grants and the timing of a new call for proposals will also be considered.

Among the key considerations in the assessment of any applications is the likelihood of increasing participation including female participation, how projects will cater for disadvantaged users and whether the proposed facility will be shared with other users or sports. I am committed to continued investment in our sport infrastructure in the years ahead and any future application for funding for the stadium referred to by the Deputy under either the SCEP or LSSIF will be considered on its own merits in line with the relevant assessment criteria.

I fully appreciate that the owner of this stadium is Dublin City Council but I was also a member of Dublin City Council for over six years and I recognise that we stripped Dublin City Council of all local government funding to the point that all it sees in its assets is how it can sell them off in order to raise funds. In this Chamber, we talk about issues of national importance. High-quality stadiums are something that every person, whether in Dublin or elsewhere in the country, can benefit from. The game of soccer is something that is so important to so many lives and brings positivity. This issue is one of such importance that we can intervene here. We need to take ownership of soccer's viability. There are two stadiums on the north side of the city, as the Minister of State will know well, which are used by Bohemians and Shelbourne. The two clubs deserve to have more than one stadium between both of only 6,500 capacity. There are four quality teams there. Bohemians now have a women's team and Shelbourne has a highly competent women's team. It is unrealistic to expect four teams to play in one stadium. I think we can intervene and provide national leadership, to ask Dublin City Council to halt the same and provide a pathway forward by which we can keep both stadiums.

We are absolutely committed to the development of football, particularly grassroots football, and strengthening the League of Ireland. That is something I am very ambitious for.

Tolka Park is owned by Dublin City Council so any future plans are a matter for the council and the councillors. Dublin City Council is also the lead applicant for the redevelopment of Dalymount stadium and the design work is at an advanced stage. In a previous proposal it was understood that Dublin City Council planned to fund some of the construction costs with Tolka Park, however as the Deputy is very well aware, as am I, the proposal has met with opposition locally with a high profile campaign to keep the Tolka Park facility for sporting use. From my perspective and that of the Department there would be no objection to keeping Tolka Park in sporting use and any future proposal for the development work could be considered like any other application under the sports capital and equipment programme and to the large scale sports infrastructure fund. That would be a matter for the council around any funding implication for its plans around the redevelopment of stadiums but we are committed. The national development plan just published includes continuity of the large scale sports infrastructure fund and the sports capital and equipment programme to strengthen our league and our grassroots. However, this is a matter around ownership on which the council will have to make a decision.

In my last years on the council the controlling group committed to not selling off any more public land. The council management, which is unelected, does not have the same vision for the city and certainly does not have the same vision for League of Ireland football as maybe the Minister of State, myself and others in the Chamber. The Minister of State's comment that no there would be no objection to an application for the large scale sporting infrastructure fund is welcome. Maybe we can find unity between the Government and Opposition and say that it would be a welcome development for us that a stadium such as Tolka Park, with all its historical importance, should be retained. It should be a stadium for Shelbourne Football Club and as a local amenity for the area. The Minister of State's remark is one that we can see as a form of quasi-commitment and one that we can build a path forward from because League of Ireland football is too important to be neglected. Shelbourne and Bohemians have each have histories and futures in their own rights and they deserve stadiums worthy of their achievements. Let us save Tolka Park and build it as a football stadium worthy of its place in the country.

I acknowledge what the Deputy said. As I mentioned, there must be prioritisation within both the FAI and the council around sport. We are ambitious for growing the league and our grassroots. That is why if any application came in, we would look at it on its merits. That is the same for any stadium in north Dublin, south Dublin or anywhere around the country. Plenty of people here have ambitions for their areas. We have tried to progress the stadium for Finn Harps that has been sitting there for years, for example. A big area by which to grow the league ensuring that the sporting infrastructure which facilitates the matches is modernised. That is something that is in the current large scale sports infrastructure fund and I am sure will feature in further iterations. The primary issue here is that Dublin City Council needs to decide on the future of the stadium. As far as any future application is concerned, we treat every application on its merits and that is really important and any sporting organisation or club can apply and they are assessed fairly as per the published criteria.

I will now return to Question No. 1 in the name of Deputy Munster.

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Imelda Munster

Question:

1. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her views on the current situation in which tour operators whose businesses are based in Ireland and offer day trips to tourist destinations in the north of Ireland have not been eligible for State supports despite the facts that northern tourist attractions generate international tourism to Ireland given the importance of cross-Border co-operation in terms of attracting tourists to Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47914/21]

I ask the Minister for her views on the current situation in which tour operators whose businesses are based in Ireland and who offer day trips to tourist destinations up North have not been eligible for State supports despite the fact that Northern Ireland tourist attractions generate international tourism to Ireland, and given the importance of cross-Border co-operation in terms of attracting tourists to Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

My Department’s role in relation to tourism lies in the area of national tourism policy development. It does not have any role in the administration of tourism business support schemes including the setting of eligibility criteria. These are operational matters for Fáilte Ireland.

In 2020 Fáilte Ireland established the Ireland-based inbound agents business continuity scheme, which has provided business continuity funding of more than €10 million to a total of 97 businesses. Last year Fáilte Ireland also established the coach tourism operators business continuity scheme, which has provided business continuity funding of just over €10 million to 1,372 coach tourism businesses. In addition to these supports, phase 1 and phase 1+ of Fáilte Ireland's 2021 tourism business continuity scheme supported hop-on hop-off tourism bus tour operators, cruise hire companies and tourism boat tour operators.

Fáilte Ireland is legally precluded from providing funding to businesses in respect of tourism activity taking place outside the State. This position is set out in section 8(1)(e) of the National Tourism Development Authority Act 2003 which states that the authority, Fáilte Ireland, shall:

... support ... such enterprises and projects relating to -

(i) the development of tourist traffic within or to the State, and

(ii) the development and marketing of tourist facilities and services in the State

as it considers appropriate.

Accordingly, applications for funding related to tourism activity outside the State are ineligible under Fáilte Ireland's capital and business continuity schemes.

Ireland is marketed as a single destination in overseas markets. Tourism Ireland, which operates on a North-South basis, does an excellent job in promoting Ireland in overseas markets, in co-operation with both Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland. I had first-hand experience of this recently when I supported Tourism Ireland on trade missions overseas in London and the United States. This arrangement benefits the tourism sector both here and in Northern Ireland. Many tourists who come to Ireland also include Northern Ireland as part of their trip and the opposite is also true.

I am acutely conscious of the ongoing challenges faced by tourism businesses, including tour operators. Informed by the recommendations in the latest report from the recovery oversight group, and in the context of budget 2022, I am working with officials and Government colleagues to establish what further supports can be put in place for the tourism sector.

We recognise that the issue relates to eligibility, and particularly under the scheme, but it seems to me that Fáilte Ireland has decided that this particular business does not drive tourist traffic into the State. We need to look at tourism on an all-island basis. As the Minister has said, Tourism Ireland has done a great job and the island is marketed abroad as one country. These inbound tour operators operate from this State - from the South. They offer packages of seven to ten days. The people who go on these tours would travel all over Ireland. They might go to Killarney, to Clare and they might even go to Louth, but they might also want to spend a night up in the Glens of Antrim. That these companies based in the South do not qualify for any supports, given all that they have gone through with the pandemic, seems like something that is not insurmountable. I am asking if the Minister could sit down with Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland, and if between them they could see if they can give something and if some support can be arranged.

I thank the Deputy. I do not believe it is accurate to say that Fáilte Ireland has made a decision against any specific business. The facts are that under the National Tourism Development Authority Act 2003, Fáilte Ireland is not permitted to assist businesses in respect of activities outside the State. Accordingly, Fáilte Ireland has provided business continuity funding to businesses such as inbound tour operators and coach tour operators in respect of their activities within the State. As I have said, Tourism Ireland does a fantastic job, on a North-South basis, in promoting Ireland to the overseas market as the island of Ireland.

I suggest that it may be worth bringing this up with the Deputy's colleagues to facilitate a discussion with Tourism Northern Ireland on supports for businesses, including the business the Deputy is referring to, which brings tourists to Northern Ireland. That may be an angle from which to approach it.

The Minister will be aware that Tourism Ireland was set up under the Good Friday Agreement. I have said already that these tour operator companies are based in the South. The only wrongdoing they might do is to go across the Border for a night or two during a tour of seven to ten days. I will certainly see what we can do from our end. The Minister has said that it is in the Act but Acts can be amended. Given that in the Good Friday Agreement we want to market the country as a whole and invite people to go North, South, east and west, it is not insurmountable if the political will is there. All I am asking is that the Minister would take an interest in it and sit down with Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland to see if a way can be found.

The Minister does not need me to tell her how the tourism sector has suffered through the pandemic. While some sectors such as hotels and restaurants are starting to come out of it, international tourism was hit worst of all and they will not see any comeback at all until spring or summer of next year. For those tour operators who are operating in the South and bringing tourists into the State, the only sin they commit is to travel up to Armagh or Antrim. That is all they do. If there is a will there is a way, and I ask that the Minister would take an interest in it to see what can be done.

I thank the Deputy. If the Deputy wants, she can forward the details to me of the specific business, but I do feel that the agencies are prohibited from funding these businesses because of the 2003 Act. Perhaps Tourism Northern Ireland should be approached and not Tourism Ireland, which the Deputy is aware is a separate body. Maybe this is the angle from which to approach it.

Top
Share