This article is from page 6 of the 2008-03-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
through the Freedom of Informa- tion Act show that a commitment to provide €20 million over five years was deleted from two earlier drafts and did not appear in the final plan that was published in January.
Drafts circulated within Govern- ment in September and December stated, “It is intended to provide ad- ditional funds, over and above ex- isting commitments in the National Development Plan, of €20 million over five years, for a targeted Tour- ism Ireland-led overseas marketing campaign for the wider catchment of Shannon airport from Kerry to Don- egal.”
However, the line was deleted from the plan that was published in Janu- ary. It is not clear why. However, a senior Department of Tourism offi- cial pointed out in an internal memo in November, “In estimates discus- sion with the Minister for Finance, I understand that there has been a pos- itive indication of funds for a special marketing push for the area in 2008, which, as you recall, featured in the plan considered by Government.
“However, there 1s no commitment from Finance for a multi-annual programme. In the circumstances, we are operating on the basis that approval for such marketing pro- gramme has to be obtained in the context of a Government decision on the wider plan.”
The strongest statement that the Minister for Tourism, Seamus Bren-
nan could make on the funding of the plan was in an accompanying press release last January when he said, “This initiative amounts to an anticipated €15 to €20 million over the next few years and will be imple- mented by Tourism Ireland.”
The plan was ready for publication last July with the department making plans to translate the plan into Irish.
It is not clear why it was delayed since not all records were released. The delay in publishing the plan also led to concerns within the De- partment of Tourism. In an internal memo last January, a senior official stated, “In the absence of any an- nouncement about the ‘plan’, there is a clear vacuum on the ground. This will be and is being filled by ad-hoc
eroupings driven by various organi- sational agendas.
“Despite all of the talk in the latter part of last year about the need to be nimble and innovative, there is little evidence of any new thinking from those who shout loudest about the need for it.
“Surveying the scene as it currently exists, I have little doubt that we will, within the very near future, see some other ‘group’ make a pitch for control of the marketing moneys.
They will, almost certainly, pro- duce their own marketing plan and demand funding for it.
In the absence of a decision to re- lease the funds and let TI get on with their job of putting together a cam- paign, in consultation with the in- dustry, the forces of incoherence will just gather momentum.
“The budget was about six weeks ago. That gave us the funds. What we don’t have is the green light to go spend them. this delay is most unfor- tunate. We have lost the winter. We stand to lose the spring also.
“With the best will in the world, it will be mid to late February before we can Start to roll out campaigns in the US. Given the loss of time, what we may end up doing there is seek- ing to build, incrementally, demand for travel next winter.