Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 April 2021
396. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if discussions have taken place in relation to maximising the tourism potential of the islands considering their prioritisation in the Covid-19 vaccine allocation strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22047/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Vaccination Programme is now well advanced and, combined with the extraordinary efforts of the Irish people, there has been a marked improvement in the status of the virus in the community. The vaccine programme is a key enabler to the reopening of society and the economy, along with several other factors such as the status of the epidemiological situation, the evolution of testing technologies and public health advice. Government will meet later in the week to consider next steps in reopening the economy and society. In addition, as part of the development of the National Economic Recovery Plan, Government will also be considering how we will help people return to work and further support sectors which have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, including sectors such as tourism.
The Tourism Recovery Plan submitted to me by the Tourism Recovery Taskforce last year will continue to be an important consideration for me as I evaluate additional measures to support the recovery of the sector. The Recovery Oversight Group will keep me apprised of progress with regard to implementation of the Recovery Plan and the recovery of the sector more generally. The group presented it first report to be on the 15th February. I have brought this report to the attention of my colleagues in Government and I will keep the report under consideration as we prepare the National Economic Recovery Plan.
In the more medium term, the development of a new national tourism policy, which will have sustainability at its core, will commence later this year when the sector begins to recover from the COVID-19 crisis. This new policy will set out a path for the coming years which will support a sustainable recovery and subsequent growth in the sector. Central to developing a more resilient and sustainable tourism sector will be an increased focus on regional growth and season extension to deliver greater visitor dispersal throughout the country with a more even spread of demand across the year. I am very aware of the important role that Tourism plays as a driver of rural economies and I am committed to a continued focus on the potential of tourism to facilitate the development of our islands.
