Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2026
164. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether he will consider introducing supports for rural hotels to either assist in re-invigorating existing hotels or with building new hotels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30430/26]
View answerThis Government recognises the central importance of tourism to Ireland’s economy and to the vitality of communities nationwide. A strong, sustainable and regionally balanced accommodation base is essential to a competitive and resilient tourism sector. Accommodation underpins the visitor experience and perceptions of value for money, while strengthening the wider tourism ecosystem and supporting businesses of all sizes to grow.
The forthcoming Tourist Accommodation Strategy, a key commitment under A New Era for Irish Tourism, will set out a clear framework to strengthen, diversify and expand Ireland’s accommodation offering, both through the current platform of the existing infrastructure and with new development.
The Strategy will focus on improving accessibility across a range of price points, unlocking development in areas with untapped tourism potential, and supporting balanced regional growth with sustainable, year-round economic benefits. I published a public consultation to inform the Strategy yesterday (27 April, 2026) and it is accessible via www.enterprise.gov.ie.
Access to robust, reliable and comprehensive data is essential to effective policy development and long-term planning and the Strategy will address our future data requirements in this regard.
Fáilte Ireland currently maintains accommodation registers under the Tourist Traffic Acts and the National Quality Assurance Framework (NQAF), providing a strong evidence base for the sector. These registers currently record 227,192 tourism bedplaces nationally, demonstrating the scale of the industry and it's capacity.
In parallel, Fáilte Ireland has developed a Tourist Accommodation Capacity and Pipeline Monitor. This strategic tool tracks existing capacity and monitors development projects as they progress through planning, construction and delivery. The monitor supports early identification of supply pressures, provides insight into regional and sectoral trends, and supports evidence-based decision making by policymakers and industry stakeholders.
Based on Q3 2025 data, the pipeline monitor forecasts that 12,750 new bedplaces under construction will be delivered nationally across 2026 and 2027. In addition, planning permission has been granted for a further 37,550 bedplaces. The monitor will be refreshed with Q1 2026 data early this summer.
To further strengthen the tourist accommodation data framework this year, a statutory register for all Short-Term Letting (STL) accommodation will be introduced following the introduction of necessary legislation. This measure will significantly enhance transparency and visibility across the full accommodation spectrum, ensuring a more complete and robust dataset to inform tourism policy and investment decisions in rural, urban, island and emerging tourism destinations.
Thus, drawing on the public consultation feedback, enhanced statutory data, the forthcoming STL register and the capacity and pipeline monitor, the Tourist Accommodation Strategy, led by my Department will take an integrated, data-driven approach to long-term accommodation planning.
This will ensure Ireland’s tourism infrastructure evolves sustainably and informed by and in line with changing consumer preferences, global travel trends, while safeguarding the resilience and competitiveness of the sector nationally and at community level.
