asked the Minister for Transport and Power why Bord Fáilte are spending approximately £100,000 less on promotion in the current year than in 1969-70.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Bord Fáilte Expenditure.
28.
The marketing activities of Bord Fáilte are financed from the grant-in-aid for administration, operational and general expenses of the board. The level of funds to be provided for this grant-in-aid in the current year is £2.95 million, an increase of £200,000 on the 1969-70 figure. I am informed by Bord Fáilte that the provision allocated by them for marketing in the current year is £1,786,000 as compared with £1,916,000 for last year but that the decrease in this provision is more than offset by the amount provided for development. The allocation of the grant-in-aid funds for administration, operational and general expenses of Bord Fáilte is, of course, a matter for the board. As marketing and development activities are closely inter-related in the overall tourist promotional field it is not really meaningful to consider them separately.
As I have already informed the House, Bord Fáilte and the Irish Hotels Federation have agreed to submit to me as soon as possible reports in relation to the development of tourism for the next five years and, in the light of these reports, I will be reviewing the outlook for tourism for the coming years.