Vol. 467 No. 4
23 Mr. O'Leary asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if he will elaborate on a recent statement attributed to him in Killarney, County Kerry, wherein he stated that tourism development in the Killarney area should be capped; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13462/96]
In the course of a relatively wide-ranging speech to the Killarney Chamber of Commerce on 10 May last, I said that the emphasis in the Operational Programme for Tourism, 1994-1999 is on the sustainable development of the tourism industry and this was enshrined in national tourism policy.
I did not refer to any proposal to cap tourism development in Killarney or any other region but rather stressed the need for sensitive and planned development. In my address I went on to talk of the need for more aggressive marketing campaigns particularly in the domestic market, while acknowledging the efforts to date in this regard by tourism interests in Killarney and the urban district council.
I also spoke of the tourism product development programme which was undertaken in Killarney under the first Operational Programme for Tourism and which is continuing under the present programme. Eligibility criteria for tourism projects seeking European Regional Development Fund grant assistance under the programme have been established and decision making structures put in place. Project applications will continue to be assessed on their merits by the management boards set up for that purpose by reference to these criteria and I have no plans to alter this practice.
