Vol. 532 No. 1
65 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if any assessment has been carried out by his Department into the level of preparation in the tourism sector for the introduction of the euro; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6617/01]
While no specific assessment has been carried out into the level of preparation in the tourism sector for the introduction of the euro, the latest survey by the Forfás EMU business awareness campaign, which was carried out in December 2000 and which included the hotel and restaurant sectors among those covered by its scope, found that while less than half of all firms still have no formal plans for the changeover to the euro, a substantial majority, 72%, have received information on what is involved in the changeover and have expressed high levels of satisfaction with the information received.
To address the issue in the tourism industry, CERT has designed and is delivering a series of workshops at regional locations to help tourism operators identify key issues and to develop phased action plans aimed at addressing these. By the end of the February-March period, subject to any foot and mouth restrictions, six workshops will have taken place in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Sligo and Killarney. They are being run for the Restaurants Association of Ireland, the Irish Hotels Federation and the Licensed Vintners Federation. CERT estimates that by June, a total of 500 industry personnel will have attended the workshops and that there will be an increase in demand for the programme in the latter half of the year.
Apart from its own preparations for the introduction of the euro, which include the commencement of staff training in April 2001 and the dual currency display in all print material for 2001, Bord Fáilte has used the opportunity of its regional roadshows to heighten awareness in the industry of the implications of the euro.
Industry is also playing its part. In September 2001 the Irish Hotels Federation, in conjunction with the Restaurants Association of Ireland, recommended to all members that they should subscribe to the IBEC-EAN Ireland code of practice regarding the changeover. This code, which has been approved by the Director of Consumer Affairs, will provide a framework for self-regulation by the industry with regard to pricing, currency display and conversion and consumer information.
I am satisfied that the tourism agencies under the aegis of my Department and the professional associations within the tourism industry are making careful preparations for the introduction of the euro and that they, in co-operation with other organisations such as the Euro Changeover Board, Forfás and IBEC, are doing all possible to exhort and prepare the industry for changeover. It is now up to each individual business to work to ensure it is ready in good time for the changeover.
