I propose to take QuestionsNos. 304 and 305 together.
The report of the tourism policy review group was launched on 30 September 2003. The Government agreed that individual Departments should engage in consultations on the actions recommended by the review group that have implications for them.
As regards my Department, the tourism division was restructured, with the establishment and resourcing of a new impact assessment unit that provides the secretariat to the high level group I appointed in January 2004 to oversee the implementation of the first two-year tourism action plan. The two tourism State agencies and the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation, ITIC, also support the secretariat.
My Department is using the implementation group consultation process, together with its membership of interdepartmental working groups and consultative fora, as a mechanism for more effective interaction with other Departments whose policies impact on tourism. This process has started well with a particularly productive dialogue developing with the Departments of Transport and Finance during the first six months of the plan.
The Department also made a number of contributions to draft submissions to Government on issues that impact on tourism, for example, the White Paper on Regulation, insurance reform, waste management, housing guidelines and the transport reform agenda, with a view to influencing the wider agenda in favour of tourism development. It has also been agreed that the Department will participate at future meetings of the National Competitiveness Council.