I propose to take Questions Nos. 3, 5, 8, 26, 37, 39 and 78 together.
The establishment by the Government of county enterprise boards will have a positive impact on local economic development. The importance of tourism to local economies and the need for ongoing liaison and co-operation with the local tourism industry has been fully recognised with the amalgamation of the RTO functions with the new entities.
There will be special arrangements to cater for tourism within the new structures. A current member of the local RTO will be appointed to each county enterprise board. Each board will have a tourism manager. A specialist tourism committee will be established within each board, and local industry members of the existing RTOs will become ex officio members of this committee. Through its chairman and the new county/city tourism manager, the committee will report directly to the partnership board and its chief executive. Each county will have a tourism advisory council representative of the local tourism industry, all of the local authorities and, where appropriate, the State sectors in tourism.
The tourism manager will prepare an integrated tourism development plan for his or her area following consultation with all relevant local tourism interests and State and semi-State agencies. This plan, when sanctioned by the County Enterprise Partnership Board, will form part of the overall county action plan and tourism enterprises will have access to the wider enterprise funds which will be available under the new arrangements. The boards will provide an important new local basis and focus for tourism development, facilitating close co-operation between the tourism industry, local authorities and other tourism interests.
Earlier this month I met the chairmen and managers of each of the six RTOs and I discussed with them the Government's intentions in regard to tourism and the new enterprise boards. In the meantime a working group representative of the Department of the Taoiseach, my own Department, Bord Fáilte and RTO management and staff are examining the practical implementation of the Government decision.