Vol. 526 No. 2
13 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the way in which the funding put aside for the development of tourism in the national development plan will be administered; the steps any individual or company who is seeking funding for a project should take; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25983/00]
I secured in excess of £350 million for tourism programmes under the NDP which will be spread across a number of operational programmes – OPs – as follows: tourism marketing, £150 million; in the productive sector OP; tourism training, just over £100 million; in the employment and human resources development OP; and tourism product, £100 million; in the two regional operational programmes for the BMW and the S&E regions.
I understand that the detailed contents of the OPs, called programme complements, have been finalised and that those in respect of the regional OPs have been discussed at regional assemblies and approved by the monitoring committees.
The tourism product measure will have five sub-measures: first, development of major attractors; second, special interest pursuits; third, tourism-environment management; fourth, tourism and recreational angling; and fifth, marine tourism.
Projects will be selected for funding under sub-measures one to three following publication of the tourism measure operational guidelines, which are being drawn up by Bord Fáilte in consultation with my Department. The framework for sub-measures four and five is set by the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources, which has secured a budget of £44 million for those measures.
The Bord Fáilte guidelines will incorporate a public call for proposals. They will specify the application process, assessment procedures and decision-making arrangements. It is hoped that the tourism measure operational guidelines will be ready before the end of the year for approval by the monitoring committees for the regional OPs, so as to enable roll-out of the measure to begin in 2001.
Meanwhile, for the first time ever, tourism product development measures have had to be formally notified to the EU Commission for state aids clearance. Negotiations with the Commission have started in this regard and the process will take some time to complete.
Pending the launch of the guidelines, I advise any individual or company seeking to promote a tourism project to consult their local regional tourism authority, which is best placed to provide advice and guidance.
