Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 June 2014
236. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which the hotel and catering industries are sufficient to meet the demands of the tourism sector now and for the foreseeable future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27738/14]
View answerThe most recent statistics for January to October 2013 show hotel capacity unchanged compared to the same period in 2012 but occupancy rates up one percentage point to 64%. Occupancy rates for other forms of accommodation were lower, with the next highest being guesthouses at 53% in the period January to October 2013.
Occupancy rates for hotels are higher in Dublin and have improved considerably over the last couple of years. Although hotels in Dublin remain good value compared to other West European city destinations, in order to maintain the competitiveness of the sector there would appear to be scope for investment in hotels and other tourist accommodation in Dublin, particularly in the city centre where demand is highest.
These statistics would indicate, therefore, that notwithstanding the potential issues with hotels in Dublin, the country as a whole has sufficient stock of tourist accommodation to meet the needs of the industry.
I am not aware of any issues with regard to the availability of restaurants, however, I should point out that they are not required to register with Fáilte Ireland. Given that the level of investment required to enter the market is of an order of magnitude less than that for hotels, I am confident that the market can respond sufficiently quickly to any changes in demand.
