54. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will report on the work of the Tourism Policy Oversight Group. [66658/26]

70. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment for an update on the implementation of 'A New Era for Irish Tourism', [66659/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 70 together.

I am pleased to report that significant progress has been made in establishing the governance arrangements to support the delivery of A New Era for Irish Tourism, Ireland's tourism policy to 2031.

The first meeting of the Tourism Policy Oversight Group, which I chair, took place on the 8 July. It has been established as the central governance and accountability body responsible for overseeing the implementation of A New Era for Irish Tourism. Its role is to provide strategic oversight of delivery, monitor progress against the Policy's 71 objectives and associated targets, identify and address risks to implementation, and support alignment across Government, tourism agencies and stakeholders.

The Oversight Group is underpinned by five thematic Delivery Streams which will drive implementation across key priority areas. The five Delivery Streams are: Culinary; Data and Insights; Sustainability; Market Development and Capacity; and State Assets and Strategic Enablement.

The first meeting of the Data and Insights Delivery Stream took place on 29 July 2026. Representatives from my Department, the Central Statistics Office, Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and the OECD considered priorities including mapping existing tourism data sources, identifying data gaps, improving international comparability, and developing a stronger evidence base to support policy development, performance monitoring and investment decisions.

Work is also progressing on the Culinary Delivery Stream, the first meeting of which will take place this month. This will support the development of a National Culinary Tourism Strategy, led by Fáilte Ireland in partnership with key stakeholders, and will help showcase Ireland's food and drink offering as an integral element of the visitor experience.

Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland are central to the delivery of A New Era for Irish Tourism and will align their three-year Corporate Plans with the policy for the periods 2026-2028 and 2029-2031. Through these plans, the agencies will support the achievement of the policy's objectives, including an enhanced focus on supporting tourism SMEs, promoting domestic and overseas tourism, and developing inclusive, food-focused and heritage-rich tourism offerings across all regions.

To support effective oversight and accountability, a structured monitoring and reporting framework is being put in place. This will support regular reporting to the Tourism Policy Oversight Group, provide visibility of progress across the policy's objectives and targets, and help ensure a continued focus on delivery and implementation.