Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 21 May 1996

Vol. 465 No. 6

Written Answers. - St. Patrick's Day Celebrations.

Peadar Clohessy

Ceist:

38 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the total amount of State funding made available to the organisers of St. Patrick's Day parades; the specific amount made available to the organisers in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7494/96]

Michael Woods

Ceist:

46 Dr. Woods asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the efforts, if any, made in 1996 to exploit St. Patrick's Day in terms of growing tourism. [7423/96]

Minister for Tourism and Trade (Mr. E. Kenny)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 46 together.

A total of £220,000 was made available through my Department's Vote for 1995 and 1996 towards the cost of transforming, by the year 2000, the national St. Patrick's Day parade, which takes place annually in Dublin, into a major international festival helping to attract increasing levels of overseas visitors to Ireland. No other provision was made in the Vote specifically for St. Patrick's Day activities.

This year's national St. Patrick's Day parade was the subject of widespread international media interest, including extended coverage on CNN and SKY worldwide networks. Also in attendance were visiting crews from TV companies from Germany, Italy and Japan to cover St. Patrick's Day in Ireland generally and the event in particular.

This type of prime time media exposure serves to highlight Ireland in key tourist markets at a critical decision making time for consumers as they finalise plans for their annual holiday destination. The revamp of our national St. Patrick's Day parade is also part of a wider strategy to extend the tourism season into early spring, highlighting for potential overseas visitors the existence of a major international festival in which they are invited to come and join in the celebrations nationwide.