The growth targets for the tourism industry in the Government's Programme for National Recovery (1988-1992) are to double the number of foreign tourists visiting Ireland to over four million per annum, to increase earnings from foreign tourism by £500 million and to create an additional 25,000 jobs in the economy.
The Government and Bord Fáilte are making every effort to secure a good regional distribution of the benefits of this increase in tourist activity. Local tourism interests, working with the local regional tourism organisation, in this case Ireland West, have, of course, a major role to play in attracting a fair share of the extended market to County Roscommon.
I understand that Ireland West are currently finalising a detailed tourism plan for the county of Roscommon in consultation with the county development team. The question of support for proposals contained in the plan, will then be a matter for the individual developers, Ireland West, and Bord Fáilte, whose responsibilities now include the allocation of EC Structural Funds, in accordance with criteria set out in the operational programme for tourism launched last January and due to run to the end of 1993.
