Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
96. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which she continues to ensure the availability of sufficient accommodation for tourism throughout the season; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32449/23]
View answerFáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority, is currently working on Accommodation Audits to establish a baseline on existing capacity and to provide gap analysis in each destination and region. As part of the roll out of all Destination Experience Development Plans, Fáilte Ireland will audit and map out current accommodation stock. This will include a quality and gap analysis (if any) for additional accommodation development on a county-by-county basis. Fáilte Ireland will use these audits to inform Local Authorities as they shape their own tourism accommodation strategies.
It is just over 500 days since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia which resulted in a record numbers of displaced people seeking protection across Europe. Thanks to the incredible generosity and support of the Irish people, more than 100,000 people from Ukraine and asylum seekers from elsewhere are now being accommodated in Ireland,
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is engaged across Government concerning temporary accommodation for those in need of shelter. This approach is in line with the whole-of-government response to the twin accommodation crises relating to Ukrainian arrivals as well as International Protection applicants.
Previous analysis by DCEDIY of its overall humanitarian accommodation portfolio had focused on that portfolio as a percentage of the registered tourism stock quantum. However, as more and more non-registered and non-tourism stock has come into the portfolio, the percentage of registered tourism accommodation being used by DCEDIY has declined.
A more granular analysis of its data by DCEDIY, taking a more focused approach to the different classes of accommodation types in its portfolio, shows that the percentage of registered tourism accommodation being used for humanitarian purposes is significantly lower – at under 14% - than had been initially estimated. The data show that, in five counties, more than 20% of the registered stock is used for humanitarian purposes, peaking at 33% in Clare. While the national average of 13 – 14% displacement is less impactful in terms of impact on the downstream economy and the wider tourism ecosystem, in some counties the impact could be more significant.
I welcome this recalibrated analysis as it shows that the scale of the challenge presented to the wider tourism ecosystem by accommodation stock displacement is not as wide as had been feared. However, the analysis does still show that, in certain counties, the scale of accommodation stock displacement is large and this could have downstream economic and other impacts. I have asked Fáilte Ireland and my officials to continue to keep this issue under review and I have asked the sector itself to engage with Fáilte Ireland regarding evidence of impacts on the ground.
