This Government has hugely stepped up for tourism since 2020 and the start of the Covid crisis, with funding of €216 million to the sector, which is an increase of 33% on the 2020 level. In the intervening period, massive additional support was pumped into the sector, with my Department's funding for tourism reaching a peak of €286 million in 2022. Today, thankfully much of the tourism sector has recovered to a significant extent. The Covid crisis is over, although a range of challenges remain. Tourism demand, airl…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 19 together. Before I reply to these questions, I wish to acknowledge the devastation in Cork due to the floods. We have opened the humanitarian assistance support and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coveney, has also committed to working with local councils to assess the damage and respond quickly. I will liaise closely with the Minister and have asked my officials to engage with Fáilte Ireland to assess the situation from a tourism perspective. Howe…

As the Deputy knows, significant supports have been provided to Cork. The Lee Valley features on Fáilte Ireland's discoverireland.ie website for domestic visitors. This is the one-stop shop that showcases the wealth of attractions to see and Cork features heavily there. Tourism Ireland has Ronan O'Gara as an ambassador, which is very much putting Cork on the map. Regarding the regional tourism development strategies, Cork City and east Cork is included in Fáilte Ireland's new Ireland's Ancient East development stra…

Everything the Deputy said points to what we are trying to do in the sustainable tourism strategy, which is to get people into the regions where there will be so much to choose from that they will stay for longer. What is needed is connectivity and we are developing a national tourism strategy. Activities such as walking in the Lee Valley, water skiing and golf can be available so that when people arrive they will stay in the region. We need connectivity. Fáilte Ireland's website and Tourism Ireland initiatives are…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 18 and 31 together. The tourism sector continues to play a significant role in supporting the State’s humanitarian effort in response to the unjust Russian war against Ukraine. In June 2023, Fáilte Ireland carried out a detailed analysis of data provided by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth concerning the bed stock under contract to accommodate Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection and international protection applicants and establi…

As I said, €10 million has been identified for the comprehensive programme of supports. The key element is that I have written to Fáilte Ireland to see if there is scope for a specific business support scheme similar to the supports we provided during Covid. We cannot devise a scheme based on anecdotal evidence. If the Deputy is aware of businesses such as activity providers or tourism experiences, he should ask them to engage directly with Fáilte Ireland. Last week, I asked Fáilte Ireland to get back to me within …

I have concerns about that impact on those businesses. My colleague, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Simon Coveney, has put in place a scheme that would benefit up to 130,000 small and medium-sized business at a cost of €250 million. Hopefully, through engagement with the sector, including activity and tourism experience businesses, the Fáilte Ireland scheme will give the support that is needed and which the Minister, Deputy Coveney's, scheme has not been able to reach. Between the two Dep…

Is cúis áthais dom labhairt leis an Teach inniu maidir leis an leithdháileadh iomlán de €1.17 billiún do mo Roinn i mbuiséad 2024, agus achoimre a thabhairt ar chuid de na bearta lena ndéanfar cothú, feabhsú agus forbairt ar na hearnálacha a bhfuil freagracht agam astu. The sectors in my Department are vital to the employment sector, especially outside urban centres, and form a core part of how we identify as a nation, as a collective people living on this island and in welcoming those from abroad, and as individua…

I cut short my contribution because I thought my colleague would get no time but if I may, I would like to reference one other issue under the media sector, namely, the €6 million being provided for the local democracy reporting scheme and the courts reporting scheme. That will help to enhance coverage of issues of concern at local level.

My position on the general issue of hotel pricing and, indeed, the wider value for money proposition within Irish tourism remains unchanged. While Ireland is not a low-cost destination, it is vital the sector keeps the value-for-money proposition to the fore across all its segments to ensure that our high quality reputation is maintained and that new and repeat visitors continue to come here. The long-term impacts of short-term thinking need to be carefully considered by all tourism businesses in setting their pric…

I am in agreement with the Deputy on the potential reputational damage to an industry which is of great importance to Ireland from an employment and economic point of view. That is why I have asked Fáilte Ireland to initiate this research. I will see what recommendations might arise from that. We are definitely seeing price spiking in certain locations and these seem to occur, as the Deputy said, when concerts or major sporting events are scheduled, and he named one such event. As I said, this is not affecting the …

Apart from the research I have asked Fáilte Ireland to do, I know it would have written last winter to registered accommodation providers and would have asked every business to consider Ireland's long-term value-for-money reputation when setting prices. That was repeated again at the industry information events, attended by more than 2,000 industry members, and at the Irish Hotels Federation, IHF, conference earlier this year. As I said, I have asked that the research report be delivered in the autumn and in additi…

Mar atá a fhios ag an Teachta, bhí an tAire Stáit tinn agus beidh sé ar ais, le cúnamh Dé, san fhómhar. I am aware of the incident to which the Deputy refers and I am very sorry for all of the artists who were affected. Since taking office as Minister, I have been aware that precarious incomes have been a feature of the arts sector and, accordingly, I have placed a strong focus on supporting professional arts practice. This is why I have sustained funding for the Arts Council at record levels of €130 million, and h…

I absolutely understand, as we all do, the precarious nature of being an artist from a financial point of view. I appreciate the deep disappointment and heartbreak of those who thought they had the award and discovered seven minutes later they did not. The director of the Arts Council has even spoken on radio and apologised profusely. The council emailed all the applicants to inform them of the error within seven minutes and apologised unreservedly. It was an unfortunate administrative error, but key to this in bui…

As I said, I understand the deep disappointment of those affected by the error. On the errors the Deputy pointed out, the council has put in additional checks. It is seeking to rectify that to ensure there is no recurrence of anything like this. It is putting in the checks to prevent a repeat of any such error that would cause such distress and disappointment to the artists we value so much. The council has apologised unreservedly, acknowledged its role in the event and is taking the necessary steps it needs to tak…

The current legal requirements regarding television licences are set out in Part 9 of the Broadcasting Act 2009. As the Deputy is aware, following Government consideration of the recommendations of the Future of Media Commission, a technical working group was established to examine potential reforms to the TV licence funding model. The group submitted its report to me at the end of March. However, given recent events, it is clear that public trust in RTÉ must be rebuilt before a decision of this significance can be…

That is why I have always set out the good that comes from people paying their television licence fee. I understand the anger in the past few weeks, particularly among the public. The licence fee is a legal requirement but it is also fundamentally about protecting public service broadcasting as a public good that benefits us all. It is vital to emphasise the importance of public service broadcasting to our democracy and society. The widespread public anger at the revelations in recent weeks is understandable but we…

However, in an era of growing disinformation and polarisation in public discourse and society at large, the ongoing provision of quality reporting and content is vital. It is important to draw a distinction between the actions of certain individuals and the many dedicated staff within RTÉ who continue to work hard to bring us high-quality news, entertainment, sport, music and drama, even in the midst of this unprecedented crisis in the organisation. This is made possible largely through funding from TV licence paym…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Tar éis dul i gcomhar le Seirbhís Thithe an Oireachtais, tuigtear dom go bhfuil riaráistí ar thiontuithe oifigiúla ann agus go bhfuil an tseirbhís ag obair chun na riaráistí sin a fhoilsiú ar bhonn sceidealta. Is léir nach mbaineann alt 7 d'Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla, 2003 leis na riaráistí sin go léir, áfach, ós rud é nár tháinig an t-alt i bhfeidhm go dtí mí Iúil 2006. Tá curtha in iúl dom go bhfuil na hAchtanna riaráiste sin go léir aistrithe anois agus go bhfuil siad ag céime…

Mar a dúirt mé cheana, is gnó é chomh maith do sheirbhís Thithe an Oireachtais féin a cuid dualgais faoi Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla a chomhlíonadh. Tuigfidh an Teachta chomh maith gur ghnó é d’Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga monatóireacht a dhéanamh ar fheidhmiú an Achta agus nach bhfuil aon ról agamsa mar Aire dá réir.