Question Time: Enterprise, Trade and Investment Monday 11 May 2015
What is the
Department doing to encourage the development of new hotels in Belfast? A
question posed to Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster during today’s Question
Time. The Department, in conjunction with Tourism NI and Invest NI, has
recently reviewed its position on support for accommodation providers. “The aim
is to help grow and develop our tourist accommodation sector to ensure that it
supports and enables the provision of a sufficient accommodation supply to meet
the demands of our key tourism markets.” The review has been completed and will
shortly be put out to public consultation. The review considers the need for
hotel development in Belfast and the potential for a tourist accommodation loan
fund to encourage such development. The review considers there to be a lack of
4 and 5 star hotels in key tourism areas and expresses concerns that Belfast
may be undersupplied in proportion to its tourism aspirations.
Barry
McElduff was also keen to press the Minister for an update on the provision of
broadband in West Tyrone. Mrs Foster pointed to significant investment in
broadband provision across Northern Ireland, including West Tyrone – superfast broadband
is available from 150 fibre-enabled cabinets in the area. The Department
awarded a contract to BT for the delivery of a £23.6m NI broadband improvement
project which will bring improved speeds to more than 45,000 homes around
Northern Ireland by the end of 2015. BT has also been awarded a contract to
provide ‘superfast’ speeds to more than 38,000 homes around the country by the
end of 2017.
Mrs Foster
also answered questions on the development of office accommodation, bringing
new direct flight routes to our airports and the electricity grid in North
Antrim. During the topical question period the Minister also answered queries
on a rugby world cup bid, investment in Omagh, the agrifood sector and
employment in Foyle.
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