The Irish Hotels' Federation (IHF) yesterday called on the Government to contribute an extra £8 million (€10.16) in tourism promotion to replace EU funding which expires at the end of the year.

The federation also asked that applications for work permits by asylum seekers and non-EU nationals with appropriate skills should be processed quickly.

The federation maintains that the Government does very well from its investment in tourism. It calculates that, over the past four years, additional spending on tourism promotion in the main markets secured additional revenue of £471 million, of which the Exchequer got £267 million in additional tax revenues. Even if only half the extra revenue arose from the increased marketing, the IHF said the return to the Exchequer was around £130 million on an investment of £22 million.

The hotel federation's report is the latest move in a campaign to get the Government to invest more in international tourism promotion.

The Minister for Tourism, Dr McDaid, has so far taken the view that the tourist industry should be financially responsible for more of the international marketing from which it benefits.

The IHF also called the Government to give incentives to encourage homemakers to return to the paid workforce. It is looking for a new Homemakers Tax Allowance of an additional £2,000 per annum. Candidates in the local government elections are also being lobbied by the IHF to push for equality between all providers of accommodation. The hoteliers frequently complain they are at a disadvantage in that they must pay rates and adhere to fire safety regulations not applicable to bed-and-breakfast operations.