Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 July 2025
304. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of registered overnight serviced accommodation, by type, by county, in tabular form, for 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35212/25]
View answerThis Government recognises the central importance of the tourism sector to Ireland's economy and communities and is acutely aware of the importance of local tourism accommodation as a resource for businesses and communities throughout Ireland.
The overall position regarding the available data on accommodation for tourism purposes is complex and multi-layered. Fáilte Ireland maintains tourist accommodation registers as provided for under the Tourist Traffic Acts and under the Acts, it is a legal requirement that any premises using a prescribed term such as ‘Hotel’ or ‘Guest House’ must be registered with Fáilte Ireland and meet the criteria set out in the relevant regulation.
Fáilte Ireland, through the National Quality Assurance Framework (NQAF), is responsible for assessing and approving tourism accommodation providers to ensure they meet these criteria as defined. Each premise undergoes an assessment at the application stage, followed by an annual renewal assessment.
In terms of ensuring adequate future supply, Fáilte Ireland has developed a capacity and pipeline monitor to track movement in tourism accommodation capacity. This includes changes in current capacity and the tracking of the pipeline of tourist accommodation in Ireland focusing on planning, construction commencement and opening phases of development. This monitor allows Fáilte Ireland to better pinpoint challenges that exist in terms of the development of tourism accommodation and to measure the impact arising.
In addition, the statutory register of all Short-Term Letting (STL) accommodation in the State will, when implemented by Fáilte Ireland in May 2026, provide a full picture of the stock of tourist accommodation.
Reliable and complete data in this area is vital for best informing the Governments tourism accommodation policies. Scoping of all available data and any data gaps arising is being actively pursued by the relevant officials in my Department. A more complete overview, based on hard data, will enhance Fáilte Ireland’s ability to promote wider tourism investment.
The combined insights gleaned from the accommodation capacity and pipeline monitor; the existing tourism accommodation registers; and the STL register will help shape and inform Ireland’s long term accommodation development plans to meet changing consumer demands and trends.
The available data for the period 2020 to date, requested by the Deputy, can be found in the attached document prepared by Fáilte Ireland.
