Vol. 467 No. 4
31 Mr. Browne (Wexford) asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the unfair obligations being placed on local authorities by Bord Fáilte in insisting that projects operated by community groups and seeking European Regional Development Fund grants must have a guarantee of underwriting by such local authorities of all the operational losses for the period of the grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12564/96]
Decisions on grant applications in respect of tourism projects under the Operational Programme for Tourism 1994-1999 are made by autonomous management boards made up of representatives of the State sector and independent professionals. These boards assess applications by reference to the criteria set out in the programme i.e. the ability of projects to attract foreign visitors, increase tourism earnings and generate sustainable employment. Obviously, the long-term commercial viability of a project is central in the evaluation process.
