Other Questions.
65 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if his attention has been drawn to a report (details supplied) on regional tourism commissioned by Fáilte Ireland; if the report will be made public for wider debate before any decision is made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14959/05]
View answer79 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if his attention has been drawn to the serious concern expressed by public representatives across all parties at the proposal to abolish Dublin Tourism; if he intends to approve the proposal, especially in view of the finding in the report produced by a company (details supplied) that Dublin Tourism was a success; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15006/05]
View answer90 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he intends to implement a report (details supplied) on RTAs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15028/05]
View answer93 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has received a report (details supplied) commissioned by Fáilte Ireland; the main recommendations of the report; if he intends to implement them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15007/05]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 65, 79, 90 and 93 together.
I refer Deputies to my reply to Priority Question No. 62 earlier today.
I propose to let my statement during Priority Questions stand.
When will the review of the PricewaterhouseCoopers report be completed? When will the Minister make a decision on it? Will he change the existing RTAs? Does the Minister agree that the main challenge for RTAs is the lack of funding for marketing? A hotelier who accompanied the western RTA told us in a committee that his budget for promoting his hotels is greater than the RTA marketing budget. The marketing budgets must be increased. In any new arrangement will the RTAs be under the umbrella of Fáilte Ireland rather than operating independently as they do currently?
The tourism review group noted two key issues in the promotion and development of tourism at a sub-national level. The first relates to the role carried out by the RTAs on behalf of Fáilte Ireland and the appropriateness of the existing structures. The second relates to harnessing and making more coherent the role played by the plethora of bodies involved in the promotion and development of tourism at regional and local level.
Fáilte Ireland has advised me that the PricewaterhouseCoopers report highlighted the need for a much wider brief for regional tourism, playing a strategic rather than an administrative role. The report recommends a greatly increased emphasis on what the Deputy has identified as a weakness, namely targeted marketing by the RTAs. It also recommends a product development role for the RTAs and it envisages enterprise support by the RTAs. If this concept is to progress there must be greater integration between regional tourism strategy and national policy. We should seek to exploit synergies to leverage increased resources. That is the general concept. Resourcing for the RTAs would increase immeasurably and the system whereby the RTAs are expected to collect their own salaries would end. If we can resolve the issues that centre around Dublin tourism we can make move forward with a new, more integrated structure that will yield benefits for the industry and the consumer. Our role is to ensure the consumer gets the best service and that the industry is in a position to provide that service.
The solution the Minister finds will be critical for the spread of tourism across the country. Despite the increase in numbers of people coming to the country, many parts are experiencing a drop in numbers entering their region. Intensive marketing is the only way to attract tourists back to those regions. I appeal to the Minister to ensure the regional structures are well resourced and strong enough to attract tourists. Tourists must be attracted away from the capital city or must be induced to spend some time in the regions if they visit Dublin. At the moment this is not happening. Tourists are staying for shorter periods and are spending less time in the regions. It is critical that there be a more vibrant regional approach to tourism. Otherwise the regions will suffer, businesses will close and the tradition of visitors going to rural Ireland will be a thing of the past.
This year the spend on tourism is the highest in the history of the State. It is approximately €125 million. There is a recognition of the difficulties faced by some regions. In their plans for 2005 Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland will roll out a number of very important initiatives which will heighten the regional impact of Ireland's marketing activities nationally and overseas. All regions will feature prominently in a range of marketing activities. A dedicated marketing fund for tactical co-operative initiatives with the RTAs and their members will be established this year. A region to region approach will be adopted in Britain which will capitalise and direct access links to the regions. Specific campaigns promoting the western seaboard will be mounted in north America, a sponsor-a-region approach will be adopted in Europe whereby each market office will focus attention alternately on a particular region to enhance the awareness of the local trade of what that region has to offer, an enhanced consumer website with increased functionality will be provided, a strong regional input will provide for more dynamic and up-to-the-minute packages to entice the domestic traveller and a strong focus on event-based holidays will be complemented by a more streamlined and targeted festivals and cultural events fund which will continue to favour the less developed regions.
Fáilte Ireland is investing in the order of €27 million on developing regional tourism from supporting local festivals, building capability and strengthening the tourism product. In regard to the promotion and development of tourism by the regions, Fáilte Ireland is channelling €7.4 million directly into the regional tourism companies to strengthen and enhance their operational and marketing capabilities. This investment is designed to ensure a high quality visitor service experience at key tourist information offices and a strong overseas promotional effort. Several of the programmes and initiatives operated by the tourism agencies favour the regional distribution of tourists and tourism revenue. If we can continue to increase the number of visitors and improve access, as we have done this year — air access from Europe is up 40% and from the US it is up 17%, both of which are extremely good indicators — then there will be a consequent increase in the number of visitors thereby ensuring a greater spread through regional initiatives. We are heading for a record year but, as Deputy Deenihan has said, it is important that the regionalisation of tourism continues apace.
I welcome what the Minister said about the new strategy because it appears to address the concerns expressed in the House on numerous occasions about the rural aspect of tourism promotion. There is now a two-tier system: the short term stays in Dublin, Galway and other cities and the two to three week stays by families in rural areas, on which we are losing out. From what the Minister has said, it appears Fáilte Ireland will address some of those issues. Can the family stay aspect be examined because that is the major concern? There are short-term stays in the cities and three and four-day festivals but there is no creativity to encourage families to stay in rural Ireland for longer. That is the problem area and bed and breakfast operators tell us they have had bad years. There is a loss of revenue given the reduced number of families visiting rural areas. That is the major problem I can decipher from the information I have received. There are festivals, short-term stays, stag nights and so on in the larger cities but we are unable to attract families who instead go for sun holidays more cheaply than we can provide holidays in this country.
As I have indicated on a number of occasions, the industry has become much more competitive. It is a difficult old world and one must ensure that one puts one's best foot forward at all times. On the question of family holidays, traditionally many of the families came from Britain. That is why, following on from a slight decrease of 1% in the numbers coming from Britain last year, we engaged in one of the most comprehensive tourism marketing surveys ever undertaken in Britain and much important information was obtained by tourism agencies from that. Many of the plans I outlined have emanated from that survey. I am confident that the work of Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland will yield benefits. I am conscious that it is cheaper to travel by air than at any time in the past. Our objective must be to ensure that the traffic we can attract through the same process is maximised to the greatest possible extent. That is precisely what we seek to do. The end-of-year figures will indicate whether we have been successful. If we are not, we will have to re-examine the strategy.
66 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position regarding the construction of a national conference centre; when consideration of the two tenders submitted will be completed and a contract awarded; the estimate of a likely starting date for construction and completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15001/05]
View answer81 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if a decision will be made on the location of a national conference centre before the end of 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15060/05]
View answer87 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position regarding the provision of a national conference centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15018/05]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 66, 81 and 87 together.
On 22 March last, I informed the House that the national conference centre project team, headed by the Office of Public Works, was engaging in a process of consultation with the tenderers, intended, inter alia, to enable the OPW to provide clarification to the tenderers and, where appropriate, to take account of issues raised by them. This process is designed to ensure the quality and robustness of the tenders that will be submitted.
The consultation process with the tenderers has resulted in a number of changes to the tender documentation. In the light of those changes the national conference centre steering group, which is responsible for overseeing the procurement process, considered it appropriate and reasonable to allow the tenderers additional time to consider and, if necessary, amend their proposals. Accordingly, the deadline for the receipt of the tenders has been extended to 20 May next. As a result, the selection of a provisional preferred tenderer is scheduled for later in the summer, with the award of the contract, subject to Government approval, expected before the end of the year. When construction will begin and finish will be a matter for the successful tenderer.
As I have said in this House on many occasions, my priority and that of the Government, is to have this project brought to a conclusion at the earliest possible date while ensuring that the relevant procedures and guidelines relating to the process are closely observed and that nothing is done that might jeopardise its successful conclusion.
Any delay in the provision of a national conference centre is disappointing. When will a decision be made given that the deadline for the receipt of the tenders has been extended? Will a decision be made this summer? It is clear from the media that tourism interests and hotels are concerned at the lack of this facility. Will the contract be awarded this summer with a view to the commencement of the construction of a national conference centre? In recent years we have been deprived of large conferences and a major injection of funds due the lack of such a facility while other countries have built a base to attract conferences. Given that we will build on a greenfield site, we are far behind in comparison with the facilities available in other countries. How can we overcome those problems?
Originally the last date for the receipt of tenders was 18 March 2005. What happened subsequently was that the national conference centre project team, headed by the Office of Public Works, became engaged in detailed consultations with the relevant tenderers and had to reply to various questions. In any event, through various requests received from some of the tenderers, it was decided to facilitate them and to extend the final date for receipt of tenders to 20 May 2005.
There are two processes involved subsequent to that. One relates to the selection of the provisional preferred tender. The second relates to the awarding of the contract and this is clearly a matter for the Government. I expect the Department will be in a position in the summer to select the provisional preferred tenderer. The issue will then be referred back to the Government in accordance with the procurement requirements and with the Government's requirements. At that point the Government will make a decision whether to award the contract. The awarding of the contract is the objective I have set myself and I hope it will be awarded by the end of the year, if it is to be awarded.
The issue of the provision of a national conference centre has been dragging on since 1994. It is important that a firm commitment is given to make a decision at the very least in 2005. It is estimated that Dublin is losing at least €50 million revenue every year because of the lack of a national conference centre and approximately 30,000 visitors, not including repeat visitors, are being lost to the country. Only 1% of the 4,000 international conferences held in Europe come to Ireland owing to the lack of a national conference centre in Dublin.
Will there be an onus on the contractor to commence the project immediately and is there an opt-out clause in the contract? What is the estimated cost to the Exchequer of the project or will the costs be borne in total by the successful tenderer? What will be the ongoing running costs of the centre to the Exchequer?
Deputy Deenihan will be aware that this is a public private partnership project and it would not be possible for me to give him figures. Any figures which I could supply would be commercially sensitive. The tendering process will not be completed until 20 May. The Department must then select the provisional preferred tenderer. The question of the awarding of the contract must be put before the Government. It would be premature and pre-emptive of me to discuss figures.
With regard to the length of time and with the greatest of respect, the issue of a national conference centre has been discussed in this country for more than 20 years. More progress has been made in recent years than in the previous 20.
A sum of €33 million has been allocated.
I hope the process will be completed so that progress can be made. Everything that could have been done has been done.
Does the Minister agree that, from the point of view of a Government decision on tenders, a bad conference centre is worse than no conference centre and if proper public transport facilities are not in place, it is better to shelve the project than build a bad conference centre? Given the recent revelations about the millions of taxpayers' money squandered by this Government on infrastructural projects such as roads, will the Government give a commitment that any tenders will be tightly fixed in terms of price and cost with penalties incurred for cost overrun?
All these issues will arise at the drafting stage of the contract. Great care must be taken to ensure public funds are spent in the most productive manner possible and taxpayers' risk is minimised to the greatest possible extent. I do not agree with Deputy Gogarty's point regarding the squandering of money. The Government has moved as expeditiously as possible on this project and has moved on to the next stage as quickly as was possible.
Written answers follow Adjournment Debate.
