21 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the reason he does not anticipate that a portion of the £350 million, available for tourism development over a seven year period, will be allocated for the development of tourist accommodation, particularly in the small family owned hotel sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16068/01]

30 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the grant aid available for the development of tourism accommodation. [16103/01]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 30 together.

Bord Fáilte was the implementing body for tourism product development under the Tourism Operational Programme 1994-99, with decisions on grant approval being made by an independent product management board. A similar arrangement will be in place for the period of the current national development plan under which I was able to obtain a commitment of £100 million, to be co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, for tourism product development. The remaining £250 million that I secured for tourism under the NDP is for marketing and human resource management.

The new tourism product investment scheme will be administered via the tourism measures of the regional operational programmes. The overall objective of the scheme is to develop the tourism product in a sustainable way that widens the spatial spread of tourism, diverts pressure from highly developed areas and increases the under performing regions' share of overseas tourism revenue.

There is a general consensus that the focus of public investment in tourism projects must be to enhance the potential of less developed tourism areas by supporting the development of significant attractions or clusters of attractions in such areas.