Tourism Ireland as a North South body receives funding from both the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland and from my Department via Fáilte Ireland. The agency's annual Business Plan including its budget is approved by the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC). As the Deputy will be aware, his party colleagues in the Northern Ireland Executive are also members of the NSMC. The allocations provided by my Department to Tourism Ireland for administration and core overseas marketing activity for the period 2010 to 2013 are as follows:- 2010 ,€48.892 million; 2011, €47.248 million; 2012, €45.831 million; 2013, €44.294 million.
While the agency's 2014 Business Plan is yet to be approved, it is expected that its overall budget for next year will be reduced by 4% which is in line with efficiency-savings reductions agreed by the respective Finance Departments for all North/South bodies.