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The Commission's report to the Minister on "Reform of Travel Trade Legislation in Ireland" has been published by the Department of Transport and is available on the Department's website: click here to download the report on "Reform of Travel Trade Legislation in Ireland". The Report builds on the Commission's extensive consultation with industry and consumer groups which took place throughout the latter half of 2008.

The Commission's report makes six recommendations:

1. Allow for the possibility of switching to a collective insurance scheme, ending the requirement that all tour operators and travel agents have separate bonds in place.
2. End the automatic requirement that firms qualifying for an audit exemption from the Companies Registration Office nevertheless have to produce audited accounts to qualify for a travel-trade licence.
3. End the legal requirement for companies to separately get both a travel agent’s licence and a tour operator’s licence if the business currently holds a tour operator’s licence.
4. Extend the duration of licences, accompanied with stronger powers for the licensing body allowing it to suspend licences.
5. Make the enforcement of the licensing regime easier.
6. End the licensing and bonding requirements for occasional organisers of travel services (such as schools and parishes).

Background

At the end of 2008, the Commission presented a report to the Minister for Transport on "Reform of Travel Trade Legislation in Ireland".  The Report followed a request from the Minister to the Commission in May 2008 to conduct a study into the effectiveness and coherence of the existing regulatory framework, and, on the basis of this assessment, to consider the need for reform.

The report to the Minister draws on extensive feedback received from industry and consumer groups as part of the consultation process undertaken by the Commission. The Commission has published on its website the twenty-nine formal submissions it received during the consultation process.