I welcome the Minister, the Minister of State and their officials to the meeting. There will be two speeches, one from the Minister and one from the Minister of State.
Estimates for Public Services, 2001.
Vote 35 - Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation (Revised).
I am accompanied by Ms Julie O'Neill, assistant-secretary in the Department, Mr. Con Haugh assistant-secretary in the Department's local development area of the sports sector, Mr. Richard Crowley who also works in the Department, and the Minister of State, Deputy Eoin Ryan.
I thank the committee for receiving the Estimates for the tourism, sport and recreation Vote for 2001. I am particularly pleased to have the opportunity to meet the committee to discuss the Estimates for my Department and associated matters.
The Minister of State, Deputy Ryan, will outline the strategies and objectives in relation to the subheads for which he has delegated responsibility. I propose to go through the other key areas of my Department's Vote.
I will focus on the administrative budget for my Department which spans across subheads A.l to A.8 and includes items such as pay, travel and subsistence, training, consultancies, information technology, telecommunications and other office premises expenses. The Estimate provision for 2001 is £5.103 million and represents an increase of 32% over the 2000 provisional outturn of £3.854 million. The allocation this year includes the carryover of savings of £225,000 from 2000 under the terms of the administrative budget agreement with the Department of Finance.
My Department has overall responsibility for the formulation of national policy in relation to the strategic development of the tourism, sport and recreation areas, including local development-social inclusion and the national drugs strategy. Since its formation in July 1997 solid progress has been made in advancing the development of these sectors. With its sight firmly focused on the future, with well developed strategic goals, supported by clear objectives and action orientated strategies, my Department will continue to play a pivotal role in ensuring that the national economic and social priorities for these sectors are fully taken into account.
I will concentrate on the B subheads of the Vote which makes provision for expenditure of almost £80 million on tourism services across a diverse range of activities.
The tourism industry has been performing extremely well over the past decade or so. Over that time the industry has been recording annual increases in both overseas visitor numbers and foreign exchange earnings which now see Ireland at the top of the international tourism performance league.
Last year was another highly successful year for tourism with a record number of people, both at home and abroad, choosing Ireland as their holiday destination. Our international visitor numbers for 2000 increased by almost 6% on the previous year to more than 6.4 million, while earnings from overseas visitors contributed more than £3 billion to the economy. Tourism is now one of our biggest industries providing jobs for around 150,000 people in the Irish economy.
The upward trend in visitor numbers, foreign revenue and employment vividly confirms that Irish tourism has been an outstanding success, one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy and, more important, a major contributor to Ireland's economic success. We must avoid becoming complacent about the long track record of success and the excellent results achieved to date.
Our plans for this year were upset by the unfortunate foot and mouth disease crisis. We were expecting this year to be another good year for tourism, but our expectations must be toned down somewhat. Bord Fáilte originally estimated a potential loss this year of 14% in the number of overseas visitors, on the basis of initial assessments of the possible impact of foot and mouth disease restrictions on tourism, when compared to the 2000 outcome of 6.4 million, equivalent to a reduction in revenue of 13%. It will be some time before the board will be in a position to confirm those estimates, and the impact on them of Ireland being able to announce that it was fully open for business well in advance of the peak season.
More recent reports from the industry and through a survey commissioned by CERT, suggest that while there has been an improvement in business and forward bookings in recent weeks after the lifting of the internal foot and mouth disease control measures, business could still be down this year on the year 2000.
My view is that Bord Fáilte's projections of industry losses may well prove to be pessimistic as they do not take into account the impact of the incremental marketing activities being undertaken at present and the extent to which business may rebound later this year.
Since the onset of the foot and mouth disease emergency, I have taken a range of measures together with my Department and Bord Fáilte to help offset the adverse impact on the tourism industry. These measures proved successful and the country has now returned to normality in terms of its attraction to visitors. All the State's cultural and heritage sites have reopened and there is an open welcome to visitors from home and overseas, subject to appropriate precautionary measures being taken to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease.
A major tourism marketing reassurance campaign, with a total budget of £10 million, has been designed by Bord Fáilte in consultation with the industry and is under way in key markets. The campaign consists of special media advertising, trade reassurance measures and special promotional visits, including my recent visit to the United States.
The reassurance campaign has been put together with the assistance of an additional special Exchequer contribution of £7 million. These actions are incremental to the 2001 budget previously approved for Bord Fáilte which represented the largest ever level of State funding for tourism marketing. When the reassurance campaign is taken into account, the overall tourism marketing budget in 2001 represents an increase of approximately £17 million on last years' budget.
I will keep the overall market under close review with the objective of ensuring that no unnecessary medium to long-term damage is done to the tourism industry which is now so important in economic terms. As I said before, the tourism industry has dealt successfully with crises in the past and is a resilient industry. With the help of the actions which I have taken and through the industry's efforts, I believe that we can overcome this temporary setback and return to a growth path next year.
Subhead B1, with an Estimate allocation of £36 million - an increase of some 24% on last year - makes provision by way of grant-in-aid to Bord Fáilte Éireann towards the administration and general expenses of the organisation under a number of broad headings. These include pay and other administrative costs, advertising and printed publicity, marketing and promotional activities, subvention to the regional tourism authorities and assistance towards product marketing such as conferences and festivals. It also contains a provision for the international sports tourism initiative which I launched in 1999. A fund of £5 million annually over the period 2001 to 2005 is available to support efforts to attract major sports events with identified tourism potential to Ireland. Clearly, the hosting of major sports events provides enormous promotional opportunities for Ireland. The additional £7 million towards the foot and mouth reassurance campaign will be added to subhead B1 by way of Supplementary Estimate later in the year.
The Good Friday Agreement offers us an historically unprecedented opportunity to work together to bring new developments and prosperity to benefit people of all traditions, North and South. The prospect of a lasting and just peace offers exciting opportunities to attract a new wave of international tourists who have not considered Ireland to date. New horizons and opportunities for all-island tourism marketing have opened up and both my Department and I are ready and willing to make our contribution to cementing peace on the island. I am delighted that the potential contribution of tourism to building peace and prosperity on the island has been recognised. At the inaugural meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council in tourism sectoral format held in Belfast on 27 October 2000 the Council agreed to the establishment of a new all-island tourism marketing company, Tourism Ireland Limited. The company was formally incorporated on 11 December 2000 and its board of directors appointed on 19 December 2000.
The new company will have responsibility for Tourism Brand Ireland, strategic all-island destination marketing in all markets outside the island of Ireland, international roll-out of regional and product marketing programmes formulated by Bord Fáilte and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and operation of the overseas office network. The principles underlying the relationship between Tourism Ireland Limited, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Bord Fáilte are set out in a memorandum of understanding agreed between my Department and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in the North in October 2000. The company's headquarters will be located in Dublin with a regional office in Coleraine. The recruitment process for the post of chief executive is at an advanced stage and the board hopes to be in a position to make an appointment very soon. In the meantime, preparatory work is progressing on the company's marketing programme for the 2002 season.
In this year's Estimates £5 million has been provisionally allocated under subhead B3 for the proposed new all-island tourism company. The final details in relation to the proposed new company, including its budget for this and future years and arrangements for shared funding on a North-South, basis are subject to agreement by the North-South Ministerial Council. The allocation will help enable the new company to meet its operating expenses and international marketing spend in the current year.
The tourism marketing fund has been allocated £18.3 million under subhead B9. This fund is being overseen by the Tourism Marketing Partnership, a public-private partnership arrangement which ensures efficient spend of these moneys. The partnership is made up of industry and Bord Fáilte representatives working closely to develop complementary strategies and plans for the totality of their combined annual marketing expenditure. The Tourism Marketing Partnership builds on the success of the overseas tourism marketing initiative and is a prime example of public and private co-operation. I look forward to seeing the partnership arrangement further developed on an all-island basis under Tourism Ireland Limited.
Provision is made under subhead B4 for the allocation of £739,000 to Shannon Development towards general administration costs and tourism promotion and development of the mid-west region. Shannon Development continues to drive the Shannon region as a quality tourism destination by stimulating investment in new and improved tourism projects, initiating and supporting broad based co-operative marketing initiatives and providing a range of services to meet the needs of visitors to the region.
Subhead B7 provides £325,000 this year for the small business expansion loan scheme. This was an important incentive identified by the task force on small business and introduced in the 1994 budget. Some 25% of a £100 million loan fund was made available to small businesses in the tourism sector. A Government interest subsidy of 3% enabled borrowers to avail of loans at a rate of 6.75%. The scheme has been closed to new borrowers since April 1996. The provision in subhead B8 - £378,000 in 2001 - is in respect of the Exchequer contribution towards the interest subsidies on loans for tourism projects supported under the EU co-funded operational programme for small business. The scheme was launched by the then Minister for Enterprise and Employment in September 1995 with some 25% of the fund being reserved for the tourism sector. Loans were for a fixed term of seven years at a fixed interest rate of 6.5%. The scheme has been closed to new borrowers since December 1996 and the Exchequer and EU contributions to the scheme will expire at the end of this year.
In tourism product development in the past ten years there has been very significant capital investment in the range of facilities available for tourists in Ireland. Under the 1989-93 and the 1994-99 EU-supported operational programmes for tourism expenditure amounted to some £770 million. This investment, in both existing facilities and additional ones, has assisted the steady growth in visitor numbers up until this year. In order to ensure our tourism product continues to keep pace with - if not ahead of - our international competitors, I have secured some £100 million for tourism product development over the life of the national development plan. The strategy for tourism product development will be based on the needs of areas, having regard to whether they are the established tourist areas, such as Dublin, Killarney, Galway, Cork, Limerick-Ennis, developing areas that already provide a solid base on which to build further tourism growth or areas where tourism business is relatively limited and needs support to maximise their potential to cater for special interest niche markets.
The further development of the tourism product infrastructure is focused on three main themes, the first of which is the development of a small number of strategically located major daytime attractions in areas where none currently exists, and also in the packaging, presentation. Where necessary, the completion of a limited number of clusters of existing attractions and facilities will be undertaken in less developed tourist areas that have the potential to generate greater foreign tourism revenue and stimulate private investment in the provision of further tourist services. The second element is the development of special interest products aimed at expanding niche markets - walking, cycling, riding trails, health tourism etc. while the final theme will provide "support for tourism and the environment" with a particular focus on tackling those problems that threaten the sustainability of tourism. The funding will be available under the two regional operational programmes which also provide for additional expenditure, by other Ministers, for tourism related actions in the marine leisure, angling, rural tourism, heritage-cultural and micro-enterprise areas.
Subhead B10 - tourism product development - which has been allocated £1 million in the 2001 Estimate will provide for Bord Fáilte's Exchequer voted capital contribution towards tourism projects to be supported under the grants scheme. No expenditure has yet been incurred because, for the first time, the grants scheme has had to be notified, under the terms of the state aids rules, to the Competition Directorate of the European Commission. Negotiations are still under way. The scheme will be launched as soon as approval is secured.
Subhead B2 makes provision for the allocation of £858,000 to Bord Fáilte Éireann to assist the regional tourism authorities with the development of a wide range of activities and facilities. Grants are aimed at authorities directly involved in activities such as tourist trails, tourist information, signposting, and cultural and heritage projects.
I refer to subhead B6 which deals with CERT. The Exchequer allocation to CERT for 2001 is £16.928 million. This is augmented by a carry forward of European Social Funds of £0.542 million from the Tourism Operational Programme, 1994-1999, and the leveraging this year of private funds of some £1.790 million under the national development plan. The company continues to play a vital role in the growth and development of the tourism industry and it expects to train more than 11,000 people for the industry in 2001.
Under the National Development Plan, 2000-06, CERT is conducting sectoral entry training for early school leavers and the long-term unemployed, initial training and education, including full-time craft and day release programmes, and continuing training. These programmes provide a professional and skilled work force to meet existing and emerging needs in the sector and, thereby, enhance the quality of the tourism product and service. Job placement rates are expected to remain at more than 90% for trainees completing their courses. Human resource management training for people already working in the industry and raising and maintaining the highest operational standards in tourism also continue to be priority areas under the plan.
Regarding subhead C of the Vote, I am pleased that I have secured an increase in the sports budget from £13.5 million in 1997 to more than £83 million this year. Under subhead C.1, a provision of £19.345 million is being made available from national lottery funds to the sports capital programme towards the provision of sports and recreational facilities in Ireland. This programme is the primary vehicle for promoting the development of such facilities at national, regional and local levels. Funding allocated under the programme assists in the provision of high quality, well designed sport and recreational facilities throughout the country.
Under the four sports capital programmes operated since the Government took office, I have allocated grants to the value of £102 million to 2021 projects for the parishes, towns and cities of Ireland. These allocations represent a substantial increase in funding over the £18 million provided for sports facilities from 1995 to 1997. Within the last week, I announced the allocation of £40 million to 680 projects throughout the country under the 2001 sports capital programme. These grants are an integral part of developing Ireland's sporting and recreational infrastructure, providing a wide range of high quality facilities in every part of the country to meet the participation, training and competitive requirements of all, from the fun, recreational enthusiast to the competitive and high performance sportsperson.
Subhead C2 deals with the 50 metre swimming pool. The building of Ireland's first ever 50 metre swimming pool at the University of Limerick continues with the opening of the facility expected later this year. This subhead provides for Government funding of £4.9 million in 2001 towards the building costs of the pool and £197,000 for the annual subvention towards the running costs. The pool will provide both short and long course training facilities. It will also provide an excellent venue for regional, national and targeted international competition, tailored to the needs of Irish swimmers. It is designed to be a state of the art facility.
On a separate but related matter, £11.5 million is provided in this year's Estimate under subhead C3 which makes provision for the swimming pool programme. Some £45 million is available for the programme for the period 2000 to 2002. The programme has given local authorities an enhanced opportunity to submit proposals to refurbish existing pools and to construct new pools under the programme.
During 2000, a revised funding mechanism was put in place that resulted in a grant of up to £3 million being available towards the renovation of existing pools or the building of new pools. Some 50 proposals were received by the closing date of 31 July last. Decisions have been made on five of these applications and there are 46 proposals from local authorities under consideration at present. Included in these proposals are 17 proposals for replacement pools, 14 proposals for new pools and 15 proposals for refurbishment pools. Grant aid will continue to be given towards the cost of a swimming pool, toddler pool, sauna and steam room. These revised grant levels will operate up to the end of the current three year programme at the end of 2002.
Subheads C4 and C5 provide funding for the Irish Sports Council. The Irish Sports Council Act, 1999, gave the council powers and functions to support and assist sport across the sporting spectrum. For example, two functions are included that have as their main aims the promotion of excellence in sport and the encouragement of greater participation in sport respectively. These aims are interlocked and should be seen as a cohesive force for sport - greater participation should increase the chance of more excellence emerging and vice versa.
The council's first priority was to prepare a strategy statement and to submit it to me by the end of 1999 as required by the Act. A New Era for Irish Sport represents the council's plan for sport for 2000 to 2002. This plan was produced following a period of intensive deliberations on the council's part as well as a widespread consultation process with all bodies interested and involved in sport. The consultation process was central to the development of the strategy statement.
The statement includes three strategies: to increase participation; to develop ability and to achieve world-class success. In this way, the council proposes to address the needs of all those involved in sport. The creation of local partnerships as envisaged by Government and the social partners in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness has now been incorporated by the Irish Sports Council in its statement of strategy, 2000-02. This sets out the pathway which will be followed by the council in the creation of such partnerships as a means of creating sustainable sports development infrastructure at local level. Eight partnerships were recently announced by the Sports Council.
The new code of ethics and good practice for children's sport was launched on 7 November 2000. The code is an all-island document and provides guidelines to sports organisations in promoting good practice in children's sport. The anti-doping programme was launched in November 1999 and testing of athletes commenced almost immediately. The annual report of its first full year of operation in 2000 was published recently and I am pleased that 621 tests were carried out which exceeded the Irish Sports Council's targets set for the first year.
Following the Sydney Olympic Games, I requested the Irish Sports Council to carry out an in-depth review of Ireland's preparation for and participation in the games, including the supports, programmes and schemes which were in place leading up to Sydney. The Irish Sports Council appointed a review steering group and commissioned a team of high performance consultants to undertake the review. As the committee will be aware, the review steering group under the chairmanship of Finbar Costello completed its report on 31 January 2001. The Irish Sports Council is now working closely with the relevant organisations in reviewing all support programmes and schemes with a view to developing strategies and initiatives aimed at improving Ireland's performance levels in international competition leading to the next Olympic Games in Athens in 2004. As a first step, the council is currently completing a review of the high performance strategy, which will be available next month.
I am pleased that, to assist the Irish Sports Council in its work for the improvement of sport at all levels as stated in budget 2001, the Government intends to double the annual budget of the council over the next four years to £20 million. Funding is also being provided to the Sports Council for the development of programmes to encourage and promote greater under age participation in the major field sports, soccer, rugby, gaelic football and hurling. In addition, funding is being provided to encourage and promote greater participation by older people in recreational sport and activities. The result of this additional funding means the council's budget will increase from £10.408 million in 2000 to £15.465 million in 2001.
I now turn to subhead C6 - Sports Campus Ireland - for which £32 million is provided in my Department's Vote in 2001. Since coming into office the Government has invested hugely in developing sports and recreational facilities at local and regional level throughout the country. We now have an unprecedented opportunity to address our national sports infrastructural requirements and build a facility which this country deserves. This opportunity may not arise again. We have the resources to ensure Stadium and Campus Ireland will not have to bear the cost of repaying capital.
The centrepieces of the campus will be the 80,000 seat state-of-the-art Stadium Ireland, the pool with a 50 metre Olympic standard pool, a 25 metre warm up and international diving pool and family and leisure waters. I want people to understand that this project is not only about participation at a variety of levels, but also about enjoyment of a major national amenity. It is about putting an infrastructure in place that will support sport and a healthy lifestyle and include science, research, medical treatment, meeting rooms, administrative support and all the backup that makes the professional running of sports organisations possible.
The Stadium Ireland project is one in which every citizen of this country can take pride. As an ultra modern state-of-the-art stadium, it will match the world's most advanced arenas and symbolise our self-confidence as a sporting nation in the 21st century. There are many excellent arguments to bring forward in support of a project of the calibre of Sports Campus Ireland, of which one of the most compelling is that an ultra modern state-of-the-art sports facility, such as the one envisaged at Abbotstown, will put Dublin and Ireland in a position to bid for major crowd pulling international events which are beyond our reach at present. I see Sports Campus Ireland as a major revenue generating asset for sport in this country. The high level of interest already evident from the private sector as regards the provision of facilities, accommodation and services at Abbotstown supports that view.
I am proud of the fact that our major team sports organisations, the GAA, the IRFU and the FAI, will be supportive partners in this project. As anchor tenants, they will provide a core series of main attractions but, as I suggested, in assessing the potential of this project we must look further afield and further ahead. Parnell said, "No man can set a boundary to the onward march of a nation and say thus far thou shalt go and no further". In that spirit I see Sports Campus Ireland in the years ahead as a venue for international events which, up to now, we could not contemplate.
The Government, to assist it in determining final Exchequer allocations for Sports Campus Ireland and the sensitivity of such allocations to variations in the scale of each element of the project, agreed that I would commission independent consultants to undertake an overview of the costs of the project. It was also agreed that the consultants will liaise with and be guided by a steering group which has been established and will be required to deliver its report not later than three months after the date of commissioning. My Department is in the process of appointing the consultants and a final decision will be made regarding the appointment within days.
The best professional estimate of the total cost of the Sports Campus Ireland project is £550 million. This includes a figure of £230 million for Stadium Ireland and a figure of £320 million for the other facilities, including the 50 metre swimming pool required for the Special Olympics in 2003. This gives a total estimated cost of £550 million for the entire campus and stadium project, of which the projected Exchequer investment is £350 million, the balance being made up of a private donation of £50 million and projected private sector investment of £150 million. This is for a project that includes waterways, parkways and sports facilities and which will be a family destination that thousands will visit every week.
Five international consortia are preparing their bids for submission to the CSID by 21 June 2001 in relation to the design, build, financing and operation of a range of facilities planned for the campus. A sixth shortlisted consortium, which had decided to make a bid, is reviewing its position. Only when the international tendering competition is completed will we have actual estimates of costing, what the private sector is prepared to invest and what Exchequer contribution will be required. The fact that some of the biggest names in sports development in the world are taking part in the tender competition gives us the best possible opportunity to limit Exchequer and, ultimately, taxpayer exposure. I find it reassuring, as I am sure will all members of the committee, that such high calibre investors want to be part of this project. In the meantime, pending completion of the overview, I assure the committee that the Government and I will continue to do everything in our power to ensure stringent control is maintained over the costs of the project.
I also assure the committee that the Sports Campus Ireland project is not being provided at the expense of other - I have no hesitation in saying this - more worthy projects, such as hospitals, housing, schools, etc. The investment required to bring our health, education, housing and other infrastructure up to the high standard demanded and deserved by the public is being made and billions of pounds have been set aside specifically for that purpose. Funding for Sports Campus Ireland poses absolutely no threat to that expenditure as it is being provided out of the budget surplus.
For the first time in our history we are being given the chance to put an infrastructure in place which will make us part of the big picture in world sport. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity, which, if we turn our backs on it, we are unlikely to see again. Provision of £500,000 has been made under subhead D4 of my Department's 2001 Vote towards the administrative costs of preparing for the hosting of the Special Olympic World Summer Games in 2003. This event, which takes place every four years, creates an international stage to demonstrate the special abilities of people with a learning difficulty. The year 2003 will be the first occasion on which the world games will be held outside the United States.
While the games will be staged in the general Dublin region, communities throughout the island, North and South, have the opportunity to become involved. Last month I launched the host town programme which offers towns and cities on the island of Ireland an opportunity to host one of the 160 teams prior to the games. This will be a marvellous community event. The visiting teams will experience the warmth and friendliness of the people in a convivial atmosphere. It will be an exciting experience for both the athletes and the host committees and promote better understanding of people with a learning disability. In addition to proving that Ireland has the ability to stage a quality world class event and the enthusiasm and commitment to make it a truly memorable occasion for everyone involved, the games will also provide us with an opportunity to demonstrate on a gigantic scale the breadth and depth of our welcome.
The games organising committee, under the chairmanship of Mr. Denis O'Brien, is making good progress towards financing and organising the games. I thank Mr. O'Brien and his committee, Mary Davis and her executive team at Special Olympics for their work towards delivering a successful games in 2003. The Government is totally committed to supporting this unique event in 2003. Earlier this year the Cabinet approved the provision of funding to a maximum of £8 million for the games in which the Taoiseach has a particular interest as chairman of the Council of Patrons and I am confident the games will provide a memorable, athletic, cultural and educational experience for all participants and supporters in 2003.
I would like to say a few words about the appropriations-in-aid - subhead E which provides for moneys received by way of appropriations-in-aid to the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation Vote. The anticipated receipts this year amount to £7.29 million. This estimate of receipts represents anticipated draw-downs of European Social Fund moneys under the EU funded URBAN and peace and reconciliation programmes administered by my Department.
I commend the Estimates to the committee. I will now ask my colleague, Deputy Eoin Ryan, to outline the Estimates provision in the areas for which he, as Minister of State with responsibility for local development and the national drugs strategy, is responsible.
I thank the Minister for his comprehensive speech. I now call on the Minister of State, Deputy Eoin Ryan.
I welcome the opportunity to appear before the select committee in my capacity as Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation on the subject of the Estimates for the Tourism, Sport and Recreation Vote. I will be concentrating on the subheads of the Vote dealing with local development-social inclusion measures and the national drugs strategy for which I have delegated responsibility within the Department.
Subhead D1 - local development-social inclusion measures - makes provision for expenditure of £35.874 million this year. Local development is about harnessing and combining the skills, talents and resources of the community, public and private sectors, and about investing them in an integrated set of actions designed to address the most pressing needs in areas of social deprivation.
An area based intervention programme for the long-term unemployed, disadvantaged communities and young people at risk has been included under the local development measure of each of the two regional operational programmes for the period 2000-06. This measure will provide £220 million over the lifetime of the national development plan to support local area partnerships and community groups. Funding is provided for these groups through Area Development Management Limited, ADM, which oversees the preparation and implementation of integrated local action plans. To implement the local development measure ADM received £22 millions in 2000 and a budget of £34.5 million has been provided for 2001.
The existing delivery mechanism for the local development measure will operate until the mid-term review of the operational programmes in 2003. The NDP contains a commitment that these structures will be reviewed with a particular focus on the role of the new county and city development boards. This review will look at the existing planning and delivery mechanisms with a view to achieving an improved, more focused and better co-ordinated delivery of social inclusion measures at local level.
I am pleased to have the opportunity today to inform the committee about a new initiative called the RAPID programme. The acronym RAPID stands for "revitalising areas by planning, investment and development." It has been designed taking account of lessons emerging from the integrated services process, the URBAN programme and other local development initiatives, and discussions with the social partners. It fulfils a commitment in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness to identify the 25 most disadvantaged areas in the country and develop a focus across the social inclusion measures in the national development plan, and target that investment at identified areas.
Strand 1 of the RAPID programme is designed to target the 25 designated urban centres with the greatest concentration of disadvantage for special support and prioritisation from funding provided in the national development plan. The establishment of a framework for the implementation of the programme is well advanced. A national co-ordinator and support staff as well as 25 local co-ordinators - one for each of the designated areas - will be in place by mid-June. Area implementation teams will then be formally established to commence work on the preparation and delivery of area action plans for each of the designated areas. These action plans are scheduled to be completed before the end of the year and the front-loading of funding provided under the national development plan to meet the needs identified for each area will take place during 2002 and 2003.
The Department of the Environment and Local Government is leading a second strand of the programme involving provincial towns. A separate programme, to be known as CLAR, which will address the problems of deprived rural areas, will be put in place by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.
Subhead D2 - programme for peace and reconciliation - provides funding for the programme for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border region, 1995-99, and the new peace operational programme, 2000-04. These programmes aim to underpin the peace process and assist in promoting reconciliation and understanding between communities within both regions and between North and South. They will do this by supporting a range of economic and social initiatives targeted at those communities, sectors and areas most affected by the past 30 years of conflict.
The peace programme, 2000-04 was approved by the European Commission in March this year. The Special EU Programmes Body, one of the North-South Implementation Bodies established under the Belfast Agreement, is the designated managing authority for the new programme. The European Union has committed some €106 million to the programme in the Border region. This will be matched by an Exchequer contribution of €35 million. Northern Ireland will receive €435 million in EU support. Specifically, the programme will support economic and social activity of similar nature on both sides of the Border and a minimum of 15% of total funding will be dedicated to projects promoting North-South co-operation. The areas of activities will include: youth, sport, culture, business and economic, arts, social inclusion, public service provision and delivery and co-operation in the agricultural, rural development, fishery and tourism sectors.
The lead Department for the programme is the Department of Finance and it is being delivered by a range of agencies drawn from Department and locally-based structures. The majority of the programme will be delivered by Area Development Management Limited, the Combat Poverty Agency and county based task forces led by the local authorities. Funding for Area Development Management Limited is provided in subhead D2 of my Department's Vote and ADM will be responsible for €43 million over the lifetime of the programme. In 2001, a provision of £6.57 million has been made available in subhead D2. The sum of £2.67 million represents the balance of funding remaining under the peace programme, 1995-99, and the remaining £3.9 million is the provision for the peace programme, 2000-04.
Under subhead D3 - drugs initiative - £11.387 million has been provided in the Tourism, Sport and Recreation Vote this year. The Government is determined to tackle the drugs problem and we have committed significant resources to achieve this aim. As a result of local drugs task force initiatives, we have established around 50 support and advice centres for drug users and their families. These centres complement nearly 55 treatment clinics which have been put in place by the Eastern Regional Health Authority. Over 4,500 drug users and 3,500 families have availed of these support and advice services, with around 5,150 being treated for heroin addiction in the ERHA's satellite clinics. While there are approximately 450 people currently on the treatment waiting lists, there is obviously a considerably higher number of drug users not availing of treatment. Our aim is to encourage these people to present to the treatment services and, when they do, ensure the full range of supports and services needed to effect their recovery are available to them.
Over the last year the task forces have been developing and submitting their new updated action plans to the national drugs strategy team. A key priority of these plans will be to move people in treatment towards full rehabilitation and reintegration into society. To date, 11 of the groups have had their plans approved by the Cabinet sub-committee and funding of £6.9 million has been allocated to them. The remaining task force plans will be approved later this year. Of the projects developed under the original drugs task force plans, 140 have been positively evaluated and mainstreamed, thereby guaranteeing their continued funding through the relevant Departments and agencies. The remaining projects will be evaluated this year.
A total of £10 million for the period 2001-03 and £3 million in 2001 was set aside in the budget for the purpose of addressing a particular problem recognised during the evaluation of the local drugs task forces, the lack of suitable premises in local drugs task force areas. To date, £3.7 million has been allocated to 19 community projects in these areas.
The Government established the National Advisory Committee on Drugs in July 2000 to meet the identified need for research to address the gaps in our understanding and awareness of the precise extent of the drugs misuse problem. The committee has been established on a non-statutory basis for an initial three year period and has an annual budget of £1 million to deliver its functions and work programme agreed by Government. It comprises experts from the statutory, community, voluntary, academic and research sectors as well as representation from relevant Departments. The three year research programme, which it will deliver, is aimed at addressing the priority information gaps and deficiencies in the area of drug misuse.
I recently launched the national drugs strategy 2001-08, the result of a comprehensive review initiated by the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation in April 2000. The objective of the review was to identify any gaps or deficiencies in the existing strategy, develop revised strategies and, if necessary, new arrangements through which to deliver them. It was carried out by a sub-group of the interdepartmental group on drugs and the national drugs strategy team, known as the review group.
To be as comprehensive as possible, the review identified the latest available data on the extent and nature of drug misuse in the country as a whole as well as any emerging trends. It also attempted to pinpoint the areas with the greatest levels of drug misuse as well as looking at international trends, developments and best practice models. An extensive consultation process was also undertaken by the review group involving approximately 190 submissions, a series of eight regional consultative fora and separate meetings with 34 different interested groups, Departments and agencies.
Central to the approach of existing drugs policies has been the bringing together of key agencies, in a planned and co-ordinated manner, to develop a range of appropriate responses to tackle drug misuse, not only in relation to supply control, but in providing treatment and rehabilitation for those who are dependent on drugs and developing appropriate preventative strategies. The review group found that this partnership approach, particularly embodied by the local drugs task forces, provided a solid foundation from which to proceed. Accordingly, the review group felt the new strategy should endorse that approach and expand and strengthen the pillars and principles which underpin it.
That said, the new strategy is a departure from what has gone before, in particular because it is the first time that all elements of drugs policy in Ireland have been brought together into a single framework with responsibilities clearly assigned across the four pillars of supply reduction, prevention, treatment and research. In addition, under each of the four pillars, a series of objectives and key performance indicators have been set with specific targets that Departments and agencies are required to meet. A series of 100 individual actions have also been developed which the relevant bodies have to carry out in order to deliver the strategy and meet its objectives.
The IDG, which in future I will chair, in conjunction with the NDST, will soon set about establishing an evaluation framework against which progress on the strategy will be measured. Furthermore, in consultation with the NDST, the IDG will report on progress to the Cabinet committee every six months. Each Department and agency will also prepare a critical implementation path for each of the actions relevant to their remit and an annual report will be produced. Finally, a mid-term evaluation will take place in 2004.
The initiatives which I have outlined make a significant contribution to addressing many of the social inequalities which affect many of our people. Much remains to be done but I am confident that we are making progress.
I thank the Ministers for their comprehensive speeches. I welcome the explanation of the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Deputy McDaid, in his speech about Campus Ireland. It was well put together.
I welcome the Minister, the Minister of State and the officials and thank them for a comprehensive report. As I have said previously, since he came to office the Minister has made a big play on the amount of money he has spent. I again bring his attention to the fact that, like other Ministers, he is extremely fortunate to have landed in a position where there was money available. Down through the years Ministers in Administrations of whatever hue were not as lucky. I am sure the Minister would agree that he was most fortunate to take over a well-run Administration with a favourable budgetary position, where there was money available and where he now is in the fortunate position of being able to dish out the goods left, right and centre. I cannot let the Minister leave without pointing out that there was only so much available to the rainbow coalition after the previous Fianna Fáil led Government left office. When we left office there was plenty of money left for this Administration.
The money should have been spent.
It was not there to spend, that was the problem. At any rate, it is there now. We got things right when we were in office and I hope we will return to office soon.
When there is so much money available, one overriding issue about which I am concerned is accountability. Bord Fáilte, for instance, has a huge budget this year. What kind of structures are in place to ensure we are getting value for money where Bord Fáilte, for instance, is concerned, that the money is being spent properly and that right across the board there is no excessive expenditure? Is there a review process where value for money is shown to exist? That is an important issue.
I note from subhead A.8 that the Estimate for general advertising and publicity next year has increased substantially to £75,000. I recognise that the sum of money is quite small, but perhaps the Minister can tell us why that is the case.
There is also quite a substantial increase in subhead A.7, consultancy services. Which consultants have been hired and what are they doing? What surveys has the Department commissioned over and above what was done in 2000?
I note that there is a substantial increase in subhead B.1, tourism services, again this year from £29 million to £36 million. This is to cover Bord Fáilte's pay, administrative costs, advertising, publicity and the subvention to the regional tourism authorities. Will the Minister provide a breakdown of that figure? That seems to be quite a substantial increase. Is the foot and mouth disease crisis having an impact across the board and is that reflected here?
There is a reduction in the Estimate for the Shannon Free Airport Development Company. Does that reflect a projected saving?
The foot and mouth disease crisis affected the tourism sector hugely this year. One of the things we have noticed is the reluctance of the Government to assist any of the small businesses in the tourism sector, directly or indirectly, apart from additional expenditure on marketing. We all know that many of these companies are under severe pressure at present. I note that in the past under subheads B.7 and B.8, there were loan subsidies or EU support measures for small businesses made available. Has the Minister given any thought to providing such supports for small businesses? I have raised this in the past and I have pointed out that our neighbours in Britain, in Wales and in Northern Ireland, have put together support packages. These companies are not looking for subsidies but they are looking for support, and the Government has been very reluctant to provide it. The Minister pointed out to me at one stage that the schemes in the other jurisdictions were not a great success and I wonder is that because the amount of money made available was quite small. Has he examined why they have not been successful, perhaps with a view to putting more successful schemes in place here?
I welcome subhead C.2, the swimming pool in Limerick. It is badly needed. On subhead C1, the grants for the provision of sports and recreational facilities, the Minister stated in his speech that he has made £40 million grant aid available and yet there is only £19 million provided for in the Estimate. Does that mean he must bring a supplementary Estimate before us later in the year and when might that be introduced? Why could it not be included in this Estimate? Why must it be introduced later?
I also note from replies to parliamentary questions that £220 million was requested by communities around the country. The Minister told me that at least £100 million worth of those were poor applications, for which there was no planning permission or which were badly put together, etc. It seems to me there are many people in communities, clubs and groups who have gone to the trouble of at least getting the grant application form and putting some kind of proposal before the Government and the Department.
Is there any way these people could be assisted in drawing up a better proposal so that the groups and communities to which I refer would not be disappointed? Perhaps the Minister could consider that matter. Some efforts have been made, but more could be done. Will he also provide a breakdown in respect of the £32 million allocated for Sports Campus Ireland and indicate on what it will be spent?
I welcome the measures relating to social inclusion and local development and I was particularly impressed with the information provided by the Minister of State, Deputy Ryan. Communities throughout the country are experiencing problems as a result of young people becoming involved in alcohol and drug abuse. Many of these problems come about as a result of youngsters not having anything to do in their spare time. Does the Department liaise with the Department of Education and Science, the youth services, and the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Health and Children in terms of the programmes they are drawing up?
The Minister's Department completed a crucially important study of the 25 most deprived urban areas. However, it is well known that poverty and social exclusion are not just confined to main urban areas and occurs in places throughout the country. Have efforts been made to carry out a nationwide survey to consider various communities and identify those where there is a lack of sporting and recreational facilities for young people? Much of the funding relating to sport is drawn down by people who are able to put together proposals. However, there are many communities that do not have access to people with those types of skills and where better and more direct intervention may be needed.
The proposal relating to the Special Olympics is extremely good and I wish everyone involved the best of luck. Under subhead C.3, £11 million is being made available for swimming pools and the Minister indicated that the Government has received numerous requests for funding. Will he indicate the total amount of money requested from the State in respect of swimming pool projects? Swimming is a fantastic recreation and all children should be able to swim. I accept, however, that the latter will not be possible unless they have access to swimming pools in their areas. At the risk of being parochial I must inform the Minister that there is no public swimming pool in the area I represent in east Cork. I am aware that it is planned to build two pools and I take this opportunity to urge that this be done as soon as possible. Some of these projects have been on the stocks for five years or more. I refer, in particular, to the swimming pool it is planned to build in Cobh. I am aware that recent action was taken in respect of this project, but more needs to be done.
In order to avoid repetition, we will take questions from Deputy Jim Higgins and a number of others and then the Minister may reply. Is that agreed? Agreed.
I will be brief because Deputy Stanton has already asked most of the salient questions. I wish to concentrate on subheads B.1 and B.2 which involve tourism marketing and promotion. On the first occasion, approximately four months ago, I tabled Priority Questions to the Minister I inquired about the role of the small hotel sector and the Minister expressed an extremely sympathetic point of view. I made the point that there are no grants available and that before we reached the stage of having mega hotels, with modern facilities such as sports complexes, conference centres, etc., small hotels formed the backbone of the industry. I also pointed out that these essentially family owned establishments are suffering badly and many of them will go to the wall unless some kind of financial assistance is provided.
In response to another parliamentary question I tabled in respect of the £350 million package the Minister announced for the next seven years, he indicated that it was not envisaged that funding would be provided in terms of upgrading this form of accommodation. There is an urgent need to underpin the small hotels sector because it is a part of Irish life and culture. If one visits France or other continental countries, one will notice how they have managed to retain small family owned hotels in villages and towns. It would be a pity if we allowed small hotels in this country to go out of business as a result of our pursuit of larger enterprises.
I am concerned about the role played by Bord Fáilte in the area of marketing. It has done a reasonably good job in the past but it is stuck in a rut in terms of the fact that it focuses only on traditional markets, namely, certain select venues in the United States, the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. However, that is like shooting fish in a barrel because these are ready markets which have been tested and proven. While an influx of six million tourists last year might seem good, the figure could have been higher for a number of reasons. There are parts of the United States in which large Irish ethnic groups live and which have been left untouched in terms of marketing. In 1994 I was invited to Iowa to take part in the St. Patrick's Day celebrations. In addressing the congress on St. Patrick's Day, I was struck by the fact that the voting panel on the wall at the back of the room listed the names of many families - Kehoes, Morrisseys and Murphys - who emigrated to the United States before the Famine and built up a huge Irish colony in Iowa. These people never travel to Ireland on holidays, they tend to vacation in the southern United States instead. It must be remembered that the distance from Iowa to New York is greater than that from Iowa to New Orleans.
The people to whom I refer have been forgotten and they form part of a potentially huge market. They are as Irish as their counterparts in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago or Cleveland but we have not ever sought to attract them to Ireland. They choose to invite backbenchers from Fianna Fáíl and Fine Gael to take part in their St. Patrick's Day celebrations because Ministers will not deign to make themselves available. When the former President, Mrs. Mary Robinson, visited Argentina a number of years ago, she uncovered an Irish community of 250,000 people who felt justifiably aggrieved at being forgotten. These people are as Irish as Irish people living in the United States or Britain and these markets are just waiting to be tapped.
Huge numbers of Japanese and Taiwanese tourists visit Britain each year to play golf, but they do not make the extra leg of the journey to visit Ireland and avail of what we can offer in greater abundance and at a lower cost than our British counterparts, namely, good golfing and fishing. Again, there is a huge market here into which we could tap.
Deputy Stanton referred to the example given by his northern counterpart of putting in place a rescue package for those who are suffering badly as a result of the restrictions imposed during the foot and mouth disease crisis. I accept that it was necessary to introduce such restrictions to protect the country's agricultural base as well as its tourism base. There will be considerable fallout in these sectors to which I refer, in terms of the hit many involved will take because people have decided not to visit Ireland this year. The Minister indicated that a package has been put in place to try to salvage something from this crisis and I wish it well. However, I do not believe it will be successful.
The measures contemplated by the Minister in his negotiations with the Minister for Finance regarding rebates on excise duty for coach tour operators and tourism businesses which pay high rates and will not be able to meet their commitments this year and VAT and PRSI payment deferrals have not been introduced here but have been in Northern Ireland.
I share Deputy Stanton's view. I do not have the enthusiasm for the Stadium and Campus Ireland project that the Minister has. It will be a monumental white elephant. It is fine to talk in terms of a grand scale and say now is the time to do it because the money is available but the project is not viable. While the Minister refers to anchor tenants, at the end of the day the GAA will award matches of consequence to Croke Park. The IRFU will look after its own, for which it cannot be blamed, in regard to Lansdowne Road. The FAI will be more than delighted to avail of the stadium because Eircom Park is not going ahead but two of the three anchor tenants the Minister presumes and hopes will support the project will not do so.
Deputy Stanton referred to the £32 million being spent on the project this year. I understood any expenditure had been deferred pending the reappraisal of the merits of the project, as insisted upon by Fianna Fáil's coalition partners, the Progressive Democrats. There will be a 50 metre pool in Limerick, which I welcome, but a second has been mentioned in the context of this project. We have gone from a number of 25 metre pools to two 50 metre pools. I am intrigued by the omission of any reference to Croke Park. Why has the £60 million the Taoiseach promised for Croke Park not been factored in to the Estimate?
I am delighted that the Special Olympics are coming to Ireland. Great credit must be given to Eunice Kennedy Shriver who promoted the concept and pushed Ireland's case for holding them. Ireland will rise to the occasion and it will be great for the country. I am enthusiastic about the host town programme. I recently attended a meeting of the Western Mentally Handicapped Association in County Mayo which is extremely enthusiastic about the programme. It will be great to bring these athletes into our communities and I wish the project well. Well done to everybody involved.
I commend the Minister of State, Deputy Ryan, on the job he is doing. It is difficult just keeping a lid on the number of heroin users at 14,000. I wish him well with the initiatives he is undertaking. Five years ago there was no talk of drugs in rural Ireland. Today provincial newspapers are littered with reports of court cases involving people caught with illicit substances. Three years ago Dublin was the heroin capital but now the drug can be found in Cork, Athlone, Galway and elsewhere. There is not a town or village in rural Ireland that does not have a drugs problem. We need to try to come to grips with this cancer.
The drugs awareness programme is crucial. Fine Gael recently hosted a meeting in County Mayo to which we invited a member of the national drugs squad, a recovering addict and a drugs activist from Dublin. The meeting was packed with 400 people in attendance who were reluctant to go home at 1 a.m. Many were parents who were learning for the first time the symptoms and signs of drug abuse. They were totally unaware of what they should look out for to discover whether their sons and daughters were abusing drugs. I wish the Minister of State well.
A sum of £100,000 has been allocated to the Ballsbridge Horseshoe Pitching Club while 17 out of 79 clubs in County Mayo which applied for lottery funding received grants. How can the Minister justify this?
I welcome the national drug treatment plan introduced by the Minister of State and the establishment of 11 regional drugs task forces in health board areas. However, the reality of dealing with the problem is different from the impression given by the Minister of State. I hope the establishment of the drugs task forces will address the problem. Is the Minister of State confident they will deliver?
Subhead C3 makes provision for swimming pools. The Department has approved the building of a pool in Skerries in my constituency. Many community organisations have raised up to £500,000 for such projects and expect to raise the £1 million necessary in order to receive co-funding from the Department. However, they are experiencing a problem when they reach the stage of departmental approval and receiving the balance of £3 million in funding. Approximately £95,000 is outstanding in legal fees for the Skerries project. Can the Department assist the organisation involved in meeting this bill given that legal action has been taken against it?
It is a viable project. Could some of the £3 million be given to the organisation or a commitment given to the local authority in order that it could pay off the outstanding fees on the basis that when the project is up and running the money can be recouped? An arrangement could be entered into between the organisation, the local authority and the Government to ensure the organisation is not taken to court while at the same time demonstrating support for the swimming pool project. A public-private partnership arrangement should be used for the project. This could be proposed as part of the deal to give the organisation time to revisit the project and get over the current difficulties. I welcome the commitment to the project but none of us wants to see it go belly up.
I am not aware of the specific predicament and, as we have given a commitment to it, can I arrange for my officials to meet the local authorities to discuss that matter in a week or two?
I appreciate that. On the testing schedule for drugs in sport, how many of the 29 sporting organisations which have signed up for this have undergone testing? Is the GAA on board and, if not, when does the Minister expect that to happen? It is important the message is sent out clearly that we want to ensure the taint of drugs is not evident in sport in any shape or form. I know the Minister stopped grants being given to a boxing club on the basis of an individual taking drugs. What is the penalty for an individual found to be in breach of regulations governing drug taking? What action is taken against the governing body?
Subhead C.6 deals with Sports Campus Ireland. Given that the Government is undertaking a review and independent cost analysis of the project and notwithstanding the various figures which have been bandied about, it is disappointing to see that the Department still maintains the project will cost £550 million. An 80,000 seat stadium is not justified. I accept there is a need for a stadium but, given the expenditure required, it should be a stadium to seat in the region of 55,000 to 60,000. Provision of that will make it a viable proposition and meet the requirements of the various sporting organisations. I am in favour of the campus element of the project, nor would I object to having three 50 metre swimming pools in the country. We need a 50 metre pool in the Dublin area.
The Minister has responsibility for capital grants to sport while other Departments have responsibility for other sports grants. The grants for youth sports available through the Department of Education and Science are not great. I know from experience in my area that the most that would be available for a soccer team or Gaelic club which have volunteers who give their time week in week out to the sport would be £100 to £112. Something needs to be done to get the balance right. I know it is not the Minister's responsibility but, when sports and sporting issues are discussed at Cabinet, it should be examined to see how additional grants can be made available to local sporting clubs, even to the level where clubs could provide three or four sets of jerseys for the under-eights, under - nines or under-tens. Something like that must be dealt with.
On the general allocation of sporting grants, does the Minister expect there to be another round of allocations a month before a general election in the autumn? Certain figures were set aside which the Fine Gael spokesperson said were not provided for in this Estimate and for which another one would have to be made available. In the context of the pattern of allocating sporting grants and given that many sporting organisations were disappointed this year, does the Minister expect to have another round of allocations before the general election?
I welcome the Minister and the Minister of State. Rounds of applause are traditionally retained for budget speeches but I felt one was warranted after listening to the speeches of the Minister and the Minister of State. There has been a dramatic increase in the funding for tourism, sport and recreation in the past few years and I compliment them for that.
I have a concern about the tourism marketing fund and Bord Fáilte. At present the US dollar and British pound are strong against the euro. One would imagine these markets would be saturated with promotional material because of the good value the citizens of those countries would get in coming to Ireland. Is there not enough flexibility in Bord Fáilte whereby it can identify countries which are doing well and whose people have large amounts of surplus money they are willing to spend on travel? Bord Fáilte appears to target the same countries every year regardless of whether the people there are willing to travel. The agency and other marketing bodies need to be more pro-active in assessing countries whose economies and markets are doing well and moving in before other countries. We need to take advantage of the opportunities available instead of advertising every year in the United States, England and the Continent. It is an issue we should examine and address.
As a supporter of Sports Campus Ireland, I am disappointed by some of the negative comments about this project. I would be disappointed were I to travel to Dublin to find I could not buy a ticket to an event because the stadium could only hold 50,000 when it could have held 80,000. We should opt for a stadium which can hold international events. People are thinking in parochial terms with regard to Irish rugby, GAA and soccer. As the Minister said, we should look towards international events and bringing them to the country.
We can do that in Croke Park.
It is something which should be supported by all parties. Concerns about costs will be allayed by the consultants examining the project.
I read some people are seeking an independent body to adjudicate on sports capital grants. I have made the point repeatedly at meetings of the committee that the people who know most about constituencies are the representatives elected by the people of those constituencies. It is an affront to suggest independent bodies are the way to go in allocating funds and grants. I have made the point when my party has been in Government and Opposition that the people who are most aware of what is happening locally are Deputies.
Members of clubs come to Deputies who assist them with their applications, explain how to fill out the forms and send them on to the Department where they are assessed in a very fair manner. Let the cards then fall where they will. We can express our opinions as to the reason a club should be supported but an independent body would take away whatever little say we have regarding our communities. Some day we will be here and someone will say, "Turn off the light," and we will all leave as we will have no more functions. We should be conscious of this. I do not know about the £100,000 for the horseshoe pitching club but I am staying in the area concerned and will check it out. I know a farrier and could sell on the horseshoes. I wish the organisation in question the best of luck and I am sure those involved have hours of endless entertainment. We should not begrudge funding to any club or sports body.
The RAPID programme is about revitalising areas. I thought it was a Ryan axe programme and compliment the Minister of State, Deputy Ryan, on it. It is being received with enthusiasm across the country and was launched in Cork, where it got excellent publicity. Communities are looking forward to it with excitement. I hope local authorities will move rapidly to ensure the co-ordinators are on the ground, actively seeking opinions. This is another role for local public representatives. If we start handing all these programmes over to independent bodies, we will become ineffective. It is important that public representatives are consulted at all times on the RAPID programme. I am aware the Minister has said on a number of occasions that it is important that we are involved in consulting and representing the views of the people we represent. It is a very positive programme.
Is there multiannual funding for this programme or is funding committed on a yearly basis? Is it expected that there will be a certain amount available under the national development plan?
A number of issues have been raised. Deputy Stanton referred to subhead A7, where there is an increase in funding for consultancy services, most of which relates to bringing IT systems up to euro complement level. There will be extra funding required for consultancy services regarding the sports campus but most of it relates to IT.
Regarding subhead A8, the extra funding relates to the growth of sport in this area for which there is a contingency plan in place. It only amounts £30,000 to which reference was made.
Speakers referred to marketing and wondered which markets should be targeted, whether the right markets are being targeted and whether the funding is being used appropriately. Bord Fáilte has proved itself during the years. It has had dramatic increases since 1988 when we established tourism as a factor and there were 880,000 visitors. The figure now stands at 6.4 million. These figures speak for themselves. Successive Governments have provided for increased funding during the years. The amount provided for in the Estimate for this year is approximately £68 million, of which £52 million will be spent on marketing. At the beginning of the year this was the largest marketing budget Bord Failte had ever received. Since then we have added another £7 million as a result of the foot and mouth crisis.
We are continuing to enter the markets but Deputy Higgins pointed out areas in the United States that we could enter, like Iowa. I was in St. Louis on St. Patrick's Day. These areas have huge Irish contingents but we cannot put the horse before the cart. One must also enter the areas from where people have access to this country. There is a need for greater access. The direct service from Los Angeles to Dublin has been a huge success. We tend, therefore, to focus our marketing on areas from where we know there is access. Many now come here from the west coast of America and we are moving into north Texas. I know people would love to come to Ireland but access from a large continent like America can create problems. Aer Lingus and the One World initiative means that there will be access.
As Deputy Kelleher said, Japanese people would love to come here. On a marketing visit there some time ago there was huge interest among the numbers who came to the workshop. Many Japanese people wanted to travel here before the foot and mouth crisis. They used to travel to London and are opening up to the idea of coming here if we could secure access.
There are 300 million people in Europe, of which we attract only 1.3 million as tourists. The United Kingdom, which has a population of over 50 million, attracts 3.5 million simply because there is access. People are willing to fly here if the conditions are right. This is something on which we should work. There are only two hubs from Brussels and Paris. If these could be opened up, we could get people to come here. I take the point about marketing but while we could market in certain areas, if there is no access, it may be a waste of funds.
I am very satisfied with the way Bord Fáilte has operated to date. Tourism Ireland Limited will now take over and we are in the process of appointing a new chief executive. All going well with the elections in the North, we hope the company will be up and running soon. I do not think any political party in the North would dare to destabilise it because it has such huge potential. However, we must still get it up and running.
Bord Fáilte has a huge marketing budget and has been doing exceptionally well in recent years. We have had a foot and mouth outbreak and only time will tell. Naturally, the figures will be down this year. If we recover to a position close to what the figures were last year, that would be a tremendous achievement by Bord Fáilte, which has served the country well for a long time. I am sure it will continue to do so.
Deputies Higgins and Stanton raised the matter of grants for small hotels to which I have been favourably disposed but my hands are tied. People such as the Deputies present have criticised the long delay - 18 months - in bringing forward the latest EU proposals in the national development plan and I have explained that with every query we make the European Union has two months to reply. If we bring forward another type of proposal - we have been looking at the proposal in question - it can keep on adding two months and cause a delay. I am anxious that we get going because of the amount of money available for product and our plans for it. I would like us to get going on drawing down that funding before very long. I would like people to bring forward application forms and proposals for the national development plan.
The grants for small hotels are, apparently, causing a problem as state aid approval is required. We have made inquiries. They keep coming back to it and another two months is added with every query made. This is the cause of the delay. We may go ahead without it. Otherwise product development in the context of the national development plan will be held up and may not be achieved within the time scale of the plan. There is a saving regarding Shannon and it has become more self-sufficient.
The issue of sports was raised. Everyone knows my views on Campus Ireland. I have pointed out that the only way we can estimate the actual cost of it is when the tenders are received on 21 June. I welcome the overview being carried out. People have raised the negative aspects of a stadium, but few have referred to the positive aspects. The best estimate we have is for £350 million. The £32 million mentioned for this year is for the aquatic centre. Planning permission has been given for the centre and there have been no objections to it.
We do not have stadia in which we can play rugby and soccer. As Deputy Browne knows, Croke Park will not ever be capable of staging soccer and rugby matches. Forty thousand people have given their blessing for Croke Park to be a state-of-the-art stadium. They have suffered inconveniences and we have asked enough of them. There are plans whereby only three other events can be staged per year at Croke Park and floodlights are not allowed. World Cup and European Championship soccer matches are all played in mid-week. The Deputy referred to the size of the stadium. He mentioned 55,000 or 60,000 seats. However, there are other matters which have to be taken into consideration. The minimum capacity for a stadium to host the European Cup final has to be 64,000. Why build a stadium with less than 65,000 seats if one wishes to stage a European Cup final at some stage?
Sports is a growing area and there is huge demand for tickets for the Portuguese games. One could double the crowd for the forthcoming World Cup game against Holland. The same would be the case if we were drawn against England. One has to show foresight. I would hate to see the capacity of the stadium reduced as there will be a demand for a state-of-the-art stadium with such a capacity. Reducing the seating capacity by 10,000 or 15,000 for the sake of political argument should not be tolerated. The savings involved in reducing the capacity from 80,000 to 65,000 seats is trivial according to people to whom I have spoken.
Five of the top people in the world are anxious to build the stadium and I am sure it will be viable. Private sector interest has been shown in the stadium. Building hotels on the site entails private sector investment. I visited the Odyssey in Belfast. We could not stage the World Boxing Championships, yet they were able to stage the tournament in Belfast. The games were a great success. Sixty five countries participated in the championships which were televised in each country. Cuba won seven gold medals and Ireland won a bronze. That is a tremendous achievement. We do not have the facilities to stage such games but we will have the facilities if we build the arena. The Odyssey in Belfast is used for ice hockey around which an amazing cult has developed. The venue is packed for every home game. I have been approached by one group which inquired about bringing an ice hockey team to Dublin. I said they were more than welcome to do so. That is an example of the private sector moving into another part of the development.
This issue does not just concern the stadium. Deputy Seán Ryan and the Labour Party do not object to the campus as it will be an excellent facility. It will be a park land facility to which one can bring one's children. People from all over the country will wish to visit this massive park from which they will all benefit eventually. I envisage the facility in the context of the education system. We have a three-tier system involving primary, secondary and tertiary levels. We are trying to build a local and regional infrastructure so that children can train in their local areas and can aspire to a tertiary level at the sports campus. We all wanted to play in Croke Park or Dalymount Park and we all have dreams. The sporting infrastructure we are building will allow children to aspire to a high level. They will not just have Croke Park but will be able to show their skills at the campus and, perhaps, one day take their places on podiums around the world. The campus is designed for the future and it will be money well spent.
Despite the fact that the critics talk about £1 billion or £1.5 billion, they do not concede that we are investing this money in sport over a period of six years. The money will not be at the expense of health, education, the environment or any other area. The money is available to build the campus and will constitute only 0.4% of the Government's spending.
This Government has invested £102 million at local and regional levels. The money is available but, in fairness to the Government, we appointed a sports Minister at Cabinet level and we are putting unprecedented sums of money into sport. I will not go into the figures but £102 million has been invested. Money is not the problem. Of the £102 million disbursed by this Government, £86 million has not been drawn down. This comes back to the point that there are not enough developers who are willing to take on construction projects involving £200,000, £300,000 or £500,000. Most builders are making millions as that is what the economy is about and fair play to them. They are making money building houses and it is difficult to get people to do small jobs.
Of the 1,450 applications we funded 680, which is almost 50%. Some of the applications were very poor. We have told people to get their 20% and we will go as far as we can to provide the other 80%. The situation before was that the Government provided 20% and the local community had to raise 80%. This was impossible. We turned this around whereby communities have to get as close as they can to 20% and we do our utmost to give them 80%. That is reasonable. I waive this approach for some of the more disadvantaged areas as they are not able to raise the necessary funds.
I admire the voluntary sector who train children and so on. However, people in the voluntary sector generally are not good at filling in forms. Many take the attitude that they will write down, say, £300,000 and wait and see what they will receive. They do not realise that in order to carry out a project worth £300,000, they require 20%, that is, £60,000. As a result of this, they render themselves ineligible. A developer or building contractor will not take on a job unless the figures add up. Consequently £86 million of the £102 million has not been drawn down during my period in office.
Every county can have cause for complaint. Mayo did not fare well this year. During Deputy Higgins period in office, Mayo received £341,000 and it received £2.55 million during my period in office. Much of the extra funding has not been drawn down which is why I introduced the sunset clause. That clause means that if work is not started within one year, the project is taken off the list. Consequently, people are asking for extensions, which will be the next problem. It is a matter of doing some fundraising. I will advertise in October. I intend to introduce another scheme in October because I want to spend the money within a calendar year. I will try to get it out around Christmas so that people will have a chance to do the work between January and December.
What about Ballsbridge?
I told the Deputy about Ballsbridge. He is very unwise to bring up Ballsbridge because he will not be supported by Fine Gael people throughout the country.
Some 39 clubs are involved in Cork, Mayo, Donegal and in the North. There are ten counties, including 1,600 members, involved in a sport which was dying on its feet. When in Government, the Deputy's party funded these clubs in the past. They are recognised by the Sports Council and the Council of Europe. They have a constitution and procedures. The sport was dying and this funding is being provided to build up a sport which was part and parcel of this country for hundreds of years.