Councillors call for a seat on the board of Tipperary Tourism
Tipperary councillors issue strong calls for a seat on the board of Tipperary Tourism
Calls for an elected member to be appointed to the board of Tipperary Tourism were debated at the June meeting of Tipperary County Council, with several councillors expressing disappointment at a recent letter from the tourism body declining a request from Fine Gael councillors for elected members to have representation on the board.
In the correspondence, Tipperary Tourism Company said that while it appreciates the council’s interest and funding support, the board is structured as industry-led to achieve the best outcomes for tourism, according to chairperson Helen King.
Fine Gael councillor Declan Burgess said he was disappointed with the response from the tourism body and reiterated that elected members have a responsibility to provide oversight and ensure accountability within organisations receiving public support.
Cllr Burgess also referenced the Local Authority Code of Governance published in July 2024, which he said outlines the need for elected member representation on subsidiary company boards, and called for further engagement on the issue.
Support for the call came from Cllr Phyll Bugler who said Tipperary was “the outlier” compared with other counties where councillors sit on tourism boards.
Tipperary County Council Chief Executive Sinead Carr acknowledged the strong interest from councillors in tourism and said it remains an important part of the council’s economic work.
She outlined that prior to 2014 there were two separate companies, and said considerable work was done to merge them into a single organisation.
She said the tourism board, working with the council, has helped significantly raise the profile of Tipperary over the past decade and emphasised that the relationship is based on collaboration.
Ms Carr also highlighted the contribution of the tourism board and industry members, saying their work in promoting the county should be recognised.
She noted that councillors receive bi-monthly management reports on tourism activity but said engagement at municipal district level is not strong enough, adding that she would look at improving input from members at that level.
She also confirmed she would bring councillors’ concerns back to the tourism board and stressed the importance of continued cooperation between both sides in developing tourism in the county.
In his response, Cllr Burgess praised Tipperary Tourism for its work in promoting the county, including its initiatives, campaigns and social media presence.
He said his comments were made in the interest of greater collaboration, but reiterated his view that the Local Authority Code of Governance indicates elected members should have representation on subsidiary boards. In his closing remarks Cllr Burgess said: “Hopefully we get a positive response from Tipp tourism. This shouldn't be an issue, I look forward to the response.”