Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 February 2021
239. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her Department has implemented the €92 million industry activation fund; the position regarding same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5696/21]
View answerLast year, a Tourism Recovery Taskforce was appointed to prepare a Tourism Recovery Plan with recommendations on how best the Irish Tourism sector can adapt and recover in a changed tourism environment as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. The Taskforce presented its Tourism Recovery Plan 2020-2023 to me on 30th September last. The Plan produced by the Taskforce was a very useful and important consideration for myself and my colleagues in Government in our deliberations for Budget 2021 and this continues to be the case as we evaluate the evolving situation.
The Recovery Plan makes a number of recommendations with the priority recommendations relating to the survival of the sector. The measures I have introduced to date, along with the horizontal measures introduced by Government, have been critical in assisting tourism businesses to survive the hugely challenging situation brought about by the pandemic.
There are also a number of recommendations aimed the Stabilisation and Recovery phase in the Recovery Plan. These include implementing a €92m Industry Activation Fund over three years for extensive overseas sales and marketing activities by the industry. Unfortunately, the evolution of the pandemic in Ireland and elsewhere has meant that our tourism sector has remained in survival mode and overseas marketing is on hold until it is safe to resume inbound tourism. I am aware that Tourism Ireland has plans in this regard and will work closely with industry to promote Ireland in overseas markets when the time is right.
The Recovery Oversight Group I appointed in December will keep me apprised of progress on the implementation of the Recovery Plan and the recovery of the sector. I, along with my colleagues in Government, will keep the recommendations in the Plan under review as we emerge from the survival phase and move towards stabilisation and recovery and welcome overseas tourists back in Ireland as soon as circumstances allow.
