The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is responsible for the provision of accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection and International Protection applicants and has confirmed that its International Protection Procurement Service has responded to an offer of accommodation made in respect of this property.
In this regard, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth will be bringing a revised white paper to Cabinet regarding the provision of additional accommodation, whether State-owned or State-developed, to add to the existing accommodation stock for International Protection applicants. His officials are engaging across Government via the interdepartmental Accommodation Working Group, led by the Department of the Taoiseach, on this issue and it is hoped that this approach will, over time, help to reduce the reliance on tourism accommodation.
The importance of the tourism sector to the Irish economy and communities in every corner of Ireland is well understood. Tourism is a critical element for regional social and economic development and Drogheda is a key part of the Ancient Destination Experience Development Plan which is the Fáilte Ireland roadmap for development of tourism in the Boyne Valley region. I welcome the collaboration between Fáilte Ireland and Louth County Council on the potential development of an attraction of scale focused on the Boyne as the development of such attractions is a key element underpinning a strong regional distribution of tourism across the country. The role of Drogheda as a key entry point to the tourism and heritage attractions of the Boyne Valley is supported by Fáilte Ireland which, with funding from my Department, has allocated significant funding to the town under its Urban Animation scheme in order to bring landmark buildings and structures in Drogheda’s historic landscape to life.
As part of Budget 2024, I have made up to €10 million available for a programme of supports targeted at those downstream tourism businesses experiencing particular challenges linked to the reduction in footfall in regions most impacted by tourism bed stock displacement. This programme of supports will include a Business Support Scheme for tourism activity and attraction businesses experiencing particular trading challenges arising from the impacts of tourism bed stock displacement. I have approved the principle of this Scheme which Fáilte Ireland will be opening soon for applications. Fáilte will also be directing investment under this programme to sustainable tourism development and promotion, industry digitalisation, promotion of domestic tourism and festivals and recruitment and retention initiatives.
The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and I co-chair the Hospitality and Tourism Forum which, on a regular basis, brings these two important and inter-related sectors together. The Forum provides a platform for structured engagement between the tourism and hospitality sectors and the relevant Government Departments where key issues can be discussed with a view to identifying practical solutions. The Forum met most recently on 24 January 2024 and the impact of tourism accommodation displacement on the two sectors was among the issues discussed.
