Seanad Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 15 Mar 1955

Vol. 44 No. 11

Tourist Traffic Bill, 1954—Committee and Final Stages.

Sections 1 to 7, inclusive, agreed to.

SECTION 8.

Mr. Kissane

I move amendment No. 1:—

To add a new sub-section as follows:—

(3) By virtue of such grants of money from an approved company, or in consideration thereof, the said company shall be entitled to representation on the directorate of Bord Fáilte Éireann, and such representation shall be by way of direct nomination by the approved company, subject to the sanction of the Minister concerned.

The purpose of this amendment, standing in the names of Mrs. Dowdall and myself, is to ensure that statutory representation will be given to the Irish Tourist Association. We are mindful, of course, of the Minister's statement to the effect that he intended to give us representation on Bord Fáilte Éireann. Of course, the Minister's gesture in that regard is appreciated, but at the same time, when passing legislation of this kind we think it is not enough to give an expressed intention.

We feel that the Irish Tourist Association, by reason of its long service to the cause of tourism in this country, is entitled to a very definite consideration under this Bill. What is enshrined in the amendment is that the association feel that representation should be their primary concern. With a view to that, we suggest that it be left to the association itself to have a panel from which to nominate a certain number of directors on Bord Fáilte Éireann, and that their election to the board would be, of course, subject to the sanction of the Minister for Industry and Commerce.

We have to take a long, objective view. It is our opinion that it would be better to have whatever representation is to be given statutorily provided for here now. It is for that purpose I am moving that a new sub-section be added. The wording of the amendment conveys clearly enough what is meant in connection with the representation which we think the Irish Tourist Association should have on Bord Fáilte Éireann.

Mrs. Dowdall

I should like to add a few words to what Senator Kissane has said. We of the Irish Tourist Association are very grateful indeed to the Minister for his sympathetic approach to our problem. I agree with Senator Kissane that we feel at the moment that our association should have representation. We are nervous of the situation in the future, and we want this done in a statutory way so that, so long as tourism is considered an important industry, and needs a board for the purpose of management, the voluntary association which has given such useful help in that work would have its due meed of representation on the board set aside for that work. It is not that we do not appreciate what the present Minister for Industry and Commerce is doing for tourism generally. We in the Irish Tourist Association wish to do this, if I may say so, so as to legalise the position. I think what Senator Kissane has said explains what we are seeking.

Mr. Anthony

I would like to ask, in the event of these companies being multiplied by three, four and five, what is the position then?

Mrs. Dowdall

I do not know who is in a position to answer that, but it seems to be all in the power of the Minister.

Minister for Industry and Commerce (Mr. Norton)

I think the Senators who are sponsoring this amendment are really pushing an open door and are trying to tidy up matters on the part of the Irish Tourist Association representation on the board to such an extent that they are overlooking the difficulties that acceptance of the amendment would create. I have stated already in the Dáil and in the Seanad that I am prepared to recognise the special position of the Irish Tourist Association by providing it with representation on the new Bord Fáilte Éireann, on the understanding that contributions are maintained by the local authorities and that the person or persons who may be appointed to the new board as the Irish Tourist Association nominee or nominees will cease to be members of the board if they cease to be directors of the Irish Tourist Association. These are the conditions under which the Irish Tourist Association is at present represented on Fógra Fáilte and I am not interfering with the present basis—procedural basis—of the representation as it exists to-day.

There are a number of objections to this amendment which may not have been foreseen when it was being drafted. This amendment, for example, would give representation to the Irish Tourist Association on the new board even if not a single penny in subscriptions came from the local authorities and I hardly imagine that that was intended. I hope a situation like that will never arise, but under this amendment, as framed, the Irish Tourist Association would have to get representation on the new board even if a single penny of local authority contributions was not received.

Mrs. Dowdall

The Irish Tourist Association would cease to exist if they did not get money from local authorities. Without such contributions they would automatically cease to exist.

Mr. Norton

And that makes the situation which I have anticipated even worse. This board must include a member of an approved company. If the Irish Tourist Association ceases to be an approved company, where am I going to find another approved company to fill up the directorate of the board as I would be required to do if this Act becomes law? There are other questions as well. In this amendment the Irish Tourist Association seeks to have the right to representation on the board. No other organisation in the country is going to get such a right. All other persons who will be directors of this board will be appointed by the Minister for Industry and Commerce for the time being, but the Irish Tourist Association will not accept a situation in which their selection will be nominated by the Minister. They say to the Minister: "You can nominate the others if you like, but keep your hands off the Irish Tourist Association, whose representative must be nominated by us." If such a person is to be a member of a board which may spend anything up to £500,000 a year of the people's money, does anybody suggest that the Minister should not in the circumstances be entitled to safeguard public money by ensuring that the person appointed to the board had been fully approved?

In any case such a person nominated by the Irish Tourist Association, and merely subject to the Minister's sanction, would clearly feel, I am sure, that his first loyalty was to the nominating body. He would feel that his first loyalty was to the body nominating him. He would feel, too, that he was one apart from the other directors and that he was not, like them, bound by a common loyalty one to the other, but that while they were loyal his loyalty lay outside to the nominating body, that he was controlled from outside as the nominee of the Irish Tourist Association. I think that fact would fetter his discretion and I think all that would be bad. I think it would be a very bad start for an Irish Tourist Association representative to go into the board with all these sore thumbs on his hands.

I have had enough friction already with these two boards. I have said how difficult it has been to get them to lap. We have had lessons on these matters already, lessons on pulling together, and I do not want to swop one variety of friction for another, as is being offered by this amendment. I think this is a shortsighted approach to the problem which could only lead to friction.

I have already said that the Irish Tourist Association will get representation on the new board. The main concern is to give it that representation and why, I put it to the Senators in all reason, should the matter be pushed to this extent when you have my positive assurance that the Irish Tourist Association will have representation on the board which will give them a new voice in determining what the future tourist policy of the country is to be over a range of policy which up to the present has not been within their sphere of influence? The Seanad can take my assurance that the Irish Tourist Association will be represented on the board.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Section 8 agreed to.

Sections 9 to 16, inclusive, and the Title, agreed to.

Bill reported without amendment.

An Cathaoirleach

When is it proposed to take the next stage?

Professor Hayes

As there are no amendments, perhaps the House could take the other stages now.

Agreed to take the remaining stages now.

Bill received for final consideration and passed.