I wish to share my time with Deputy Martin.
Adjournment Debate. - Irish Soccer Supporters' Travel Arrangements.
I am sure that is satisfactory and agreed.
I thank you for giving me the opportunity to raise this matter and to articulate the anger felt by fans who have been left stranded in the United States. These fans, 400 in number, most of whom are from the Cork area, have been saving for the past few months to attend the games in which Ireland is participating. They booked holidays in the United States with a United Kingdom company, Sportex, through various travel agents in Cork. They had to endure considerable delays at Gatwick initially and later discovered that their accommodation and ticket arrangements, for the Ireland-Italy match in particular, had gone awry. This should not have happened. Local travel agents in Cork should have made sure, given that they were dealing with a foreign company, Sportex in this instance, that these fans would not have their arrangements upset for this major international event during which Ireland was given a huge boost at the Ireland-Italy match last Saturday night.
I ask the Minister to intervene immediately on behalf of these soccer supporters who have been abandoned by the company concerned in the United States and who are not sure what arrangements are being made on their behalf. These supporters, mainly from the Cork area, have had a sad experience. It is disgraceful that they missed the Ireland-Italy match and have had their holiday spoilt due to the incompetence of the United Kingdom travel company.
It is unacceptable that local travel agents in Cork will not share the responsibility for this fiasco. They should be more selective in dealing with foreign travel companies, especially when one considers the huge sacrifices made over a long period by these soccer fans to fulfil their lifetime ambition of seeing Ireland play in the World Cup.
I anticipate that the Minister will be able to give a full and frank explanation to the many young people who have had this awful experience and to give some indication to the House of the alternative arrangements which have been made to facilitate these fans.
I thank Deputy Hogan for sharing his time with me. I empathise with all those who have been victims in this appalling situation and will try to articulate their sense of grievance and anxiety, which is also felt by their families at home in Cork and throughout the country.
I have been led to believe by some of the travel agents in Cork to whom I spoke this morning that accommodation arrangements have now been made. It was pointed out, tongue in cheek, that funding was being made available by the British travel company to purchase tickets. I ask the Minister to indicate if, at this late stage, arrangements can be made, in consultation with the FAI and the authorities in the United States to purchase tickets for the remaining games. I ask her to exert as much pressure as possible and consult with the FAI to secure these tickets for the supporters who are the victims. I hold no brief for the travel company in Britain or local travel agents.
I pay tribute to the staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs who manned offices on Friday evening and all day Saturday. They were most helpful and co-operative in dealing with me and the many people who were making inquiries on behalf of family members. I also pay tribute to the staff of the consulate in America, Mr. Shane O'Riordan in particular. The message has been conveyed to me by the families concerned that the officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Irish consulate were absolutely superb in trying to assist those who have been caught in this terrible situation and who have been let down. In the context of a wonderful celebration of Irish talent and sport and in the spirit of the occasion the World Cup represents for us, we should do everything possible to resolve the disaster which has befallen those supporters and secure tickets for them for the remaining games. That would go some way to redress their disappointment and sense of disillusionment. Some of them have been saving and looking forward to this occasion for many years and to be treated in such a shabby manner is nothing short of reprehensible. There must be some degree of responsibility on the Irish Travel Agents' Association to ensure that foreign travel agents dealing with Irish people are a member of the governing authorities in their jurisdictions and that they fulfil obligations in respect of bonding and so on. The Department of Transport, Energy and Communications should investigate this matter to ensure we do not have a repeat of this episode.
I sympathise with the fans who saved for this occasion and whose joy at Ireland's wonderful performance against Italy resulted in distress because of their failure to get tickets for that match and the difficulties surrounding their accommodation and travel. This raises the question of ethics in business for people who sell a package which is alleged to include match tickets but does not. There are many questions to be answered in this regard. I am responding to this matter on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications.
I would like to explain that the Act which governs the operations of tour operators and travel agents selling holidays out of Ireland is the Transport (Tour Operators and Travel Agents) Act, 1982.
This Act provides, among other things, for the licensing and bonding of travel agents and tour operators; and a backup travellers' protection fund raised by contributions from tour operators on a basis determined by the Minister. The Act applies to overseas travel contracts concluded between intending travellers and travel agents and tour operators.
A body which wishes to act as a tour operator or a travel agent in Ireland selling overseas travel from Ireland must apply to the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications for a licence. Among the requirements which must be satisfied prior to granting a licence is that a tour operator and a travel agent are required to furnish a bond equivalent to between 10 per cent and 4 per cent of their respective annual licensable turnover. The bond provides that, where a travel agent or a tour operator is not in a position to meet its financial or contractual obligations in relation to overseas travel contracts, a sum of money will become available to the Minister to be applied for settling customers' claims. The moneys may be applied, inter alia, to provide travel facilities for any customer who is outside Ireland and unable to make the return journey as a result of the agent or operator in question being unable to meet its contractual obligations. The travellers' protection fund is available only to meet any shortfall where the amount of a bond is inadequate.
Having said that, holidaymakers are free, at their own discretion, to purchase holidays from tour operators based outside Ireland who are not licensed or bonded in this country. The Department has always strongly advised Irish travel agents that it would be in their best interests before making a booking with a foreign tour operator on behalf of a client to make inquiries as to the protection available in the event of a collapse and to advise the client fully of the situation.
I am aware that a number of Irish supporters who purchased holiday packages to the World Cup with a British tour operator has experienced problems since their arrival in the US. I stress that the tour operator in question does not hold a licence under the 1982 Act in Ireland, or is not required to do so, and the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications has no function or responsibility in relation to that operator or any liabilities which that operator may incur. While this is the formal legal position, my Department has been in touch with a number of bodies, including the Department of Foreign Affairs, with a view to seeing what can be done to alleviate the situation. I understand that Department has been in contact, through the Embassy in London and officials in the US, with the tour operator in question and with service providers in the US in an effort to use its best endeavours to ensure that persons who had booked holidays with the operator will receive their holiday in full. These contacts are ongoing. The staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs has been pulling out all the stops with a view to doing something for those disappointed fans.
I should stress that my understanding of the position is that the problems experienced relate to the provision of accommodation and match tickets as contracted for. I am delighted to hear from Deputy Martin that the matter of accommodation has been sorted out. In so far as the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications and the Department of Foreign Affairs have been able to establish, the question of people being abandoned at airports in the US does not arise as it is understood the airlines in question have been paid and all persons hold return journey tickets. It is despicable that a travel agent should sell a package with tickets if it is not available.