A local TD says inconsistencies in tourism figures has left a "fundamental gap" in our ability to properly structure supports and interventions in our tourism sector.
Deputy Cathy Bennett was reacting to the publication of CSO figures which indicated a decrease of 4% in international figures for April.
This follows on from sharper decreases earlier in the year which have been disputed by those within the sector itself.
The local TD says it's "crystal clear" that the number of international visitors in the first 4-months of this year has decreased.
Despite this, she says it's important to know whether this has been a more marginal decrease as suggested by the sector, or a much more substantial decline as suggested by the CSO which would require significant consideration by government.
Deputy Bennett believes "clarity is needed" to bring about a "clearer picture" of the challenges facing the sector.
Speaking to Northern Sound, Deputy Bennett; "A new Tourism Policy Framework was published last November and the Department is meant to currently be working towards the development of a detailed tourism policy to 2030 - such a policy can be neither developed nor implemented while something as basic as visitor numbers is in dispute.
"I will be writing to Oireachtas Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Committee requesting that they seek submissions from both the Central Statistics Office and key governmental and industry stakeholders in relation to this matter.
"Clarity is needed, and if necessary the Committee should seek to bring all stakeholders before it to get the bottom of how this discrepancy has come to be, and bring about a fuller, clearer picture of the scale of challenge the sector is facing."
