andMr. Begley asked the Taoiseach if he will abolish Bord Fáilte and substitute instead a Minister for Tourism.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Minister for Tourism.
1.
I do not propose to appoint a Minister for Tourism to replace Bord Fáilte.
Is the Taoiseach not aware that there is grave dissatisfaction among people working in the tourist industry with the operations of Bord Fáilte and that many people in the industry consider Bord Fáilte to be at this stage of its existence very much a hidebound bureaucracy accountable to nobody?
I am not aware that there are very many people in the tourist industry dissatisfied with Bord Fáilte's functioning but I do know that Bord Fáilte is regarded as one of the foremost tourist organisations in the world.
Is the Taoiseach aware that there appears to be a breakdown in communication between Bord Fáilte and the people engaged in the tourist industry? There has been considerable criticism of the poor communication between Bord Fáilte and hoteliers, guesthouse owners and so on. Will the Taoiseach look into this?
This is the first complaint I have received but the Minister for Transport and Power is in the process of putting the Tourist Traffic Bill through the House and perhaps he will expand on the position between the tourist industry and the board and on what the long-term prospects will be.