The creation of Ireland's first dedicated tourism marketing fund is the most notable feature of the Estimate for the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation, which is up 21 per cent to £175 million.
The new fund accounts for almost £14.5 million, which will be available to Bord Failte exclusively for marketing. Combined with a separate £6 million allocation to the overseas tourism marketing initiative, which is promoting the island as a whole, the Estimates provide for a dedicated tourism marketing budget of over £20 million next year.
The money is separate to the board's normal provisionailte, which falls slightly from the current year to £26.2 million. Other tourism-related provisions include a £15 million allocation for education, recruitment and training in the hotel, catering and tourist industries, up from just under £4 million.
Under the heading of sport, the figures include a 406 per cent increase in funding for local authority swimming pools, up from £3 million to £15.18 million. An additional £3.05 million is earmarked next year for the construction of a 50-metre pool in Limerick, for which £6 million was provided this year. The pool is expected to be completed by late 2000.