Vol. 458 No. 3
33 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if he has satisfied himself that there are sufficient bedrooms available in the country's hotels and registered guesthouses to cater for the tourist trade; and the steps, if any, his Department is taking to rectify the situation in areas where sufficient capacity is not available at peak season. [16917/95]
46 Dr. McDaid asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the plans, if any, he has to increase funding towards accommodation in view of the increase of visitors to Northern Ireland. [16728/95]
48 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the plans, if any, he has to ensure that additional tourist accommodation is provided in the Dublin area. [16878/95]
50 Mr. Dempsey asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade his policy on the development of budget accommodation; and if he will give details of this policy. [16849/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 33, 46, 48 and 50 together.
The provision of tourist accommodation is a matter for the tourist industry and depends primarily on individual operators' commercial judgment as to the manner in which to respond to levels of demand.
There has been a steady expansion in tourist accommodation in all sectors in recent years in response to growth in visitor numbers. To assist providers with further expansion plans, all registered and approved tourist accommodation have been deemed eligible to apply for low interest loans under the access to finance scheme launched last September by the Minister for Enterprise and Employment. In addition, investment in such accommodation in any of the resort areas designated under the pilot tax relief scheme for certain resort areas may also qualify for generous tax incentives available under the scheme. There is also limited financial assistance available under the Tourism OP for specialist accommodation needs in certain, specific circumstances.
