Dear Industry Member,
Fáilte Ireland’s new €26m COVID-19 Adaptation Fund opened for applications this week and interest is already extremely high. The Fund will help offset some of the costs that you have incurred in adapting your premises and operations for safe re-opening. Expenditure on items such as protective screens, outdoor areas, PPE, online apps, technology and sanitisers are all covered.
We expect up to 12,000 tourism businesses will be eligible to receive financial support, making it our largest funding programme to date in terms of the number of businesses that will directly benefit. Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin secured the funding as part of the Government’s July Stimulus package.
Following an independent assessment of the potential costs, we developed a sliding scale to ensure a proportionate grant amount was allocated to different types of businesses. I am encouraging businesses to check eligibility criteria and to apply as soon as possible.
Applications are open until October 8th. For more information, visit our website.
I also want to take this opportunity to inform you that following the resignation of Michael Cawley as Chairman of Fáilte Ireland on Saturday August 15th, the Fáilte Ireland Authority convened a special meeting on Tuesday August 18th to elect an Interim Chair. I am pleased to say that Authority members unanimously selected Paul Carty who has been serving on the Authority since July 2017. As you will agree Paul is a highly respected and experienced tourism professional working in the industry both at home and abroad for many decades. On behalf of the Executive team and staff at Fáilte Ireland I want to thank Paul for agreeing to take on this role at this critical time and we are looking forward to continuing to work with him in his new capacity over the coming weeks and months. He will serve as Interim Chair until Minister Catherine Martin appoints a successor.
I want to assure you that as the National Tourism Development Authority, our primary focus remains on supporting and sustaining the tourism sector. The Irish tourism industry is in the midst of an existential crisis unique in its history and our mission and actions in supporting the sector to rebuild and recover will not waiver or be derailed.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Kelly
CEO, Fáilte Ireland
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