Vol. 495 No. 5
37 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation his views on mandatory approval of all bed and breakfast accommodation; if this mandatory approval will help to improve standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19950/98]
All providers of accommodation for tourists are obliged, whether approved or unapproved, to comply with official requirements in areas such as taxation, planning, fire and safety and hygiene and there is no evidence of significant non-compliance. Earlier this year, I wrote to my ministerial colleagues with responsibility in these areas asking them to ensure that there are no advantages for unapproved operators in the application of the law.
The issue of mandatory approval of bed and breakfast accommodation has been examined by successive administrations over the years and they have all come to the same conclusion that, to be effective, any system would have to be compulsory in nature, and this would require endless administration and policing, particularly as many operators only operate for short periods of the year.
I believe that the best solution is to encourage unapproved operators to become approved and to this end both Bord Fáilte and the recognised approving bodies will continue to encourage all operators to seek approved status. They will explain to them not only what is involved in terms of procedure, but also the benefits to be gained from being part of the approved sector, including access to official marketing and booking accommodation through Bord Fáilte and the tourist office network, and access to the tax breaks or other subsidised finance schemes which are available.
