There were 26,000 fewer visitors to Ireland in the first quarter of this year, with 1,039,000, compared to 1,065,000 for the same period last year.
However, the only market that showed a drop when compared with last year was Britain where numbers dropped by 7.5%. By contrast the number of overseas visitors on continental routes increased by 10.3%, while the number on Transatlantic routes increased by 4.6% for the period.
Although Bord Failte did attribute the lower visitor number to the foot and mouth crisis, the Department believes that the visitor reduction will be greater for the second quarter.
Minister McDaid said: 'Because these figures are for the period before the tourism season commenced in earnest and they include visitors who would have committed to travelling here before the FMD crisis hit, it is still too early to confirm if Bord Failte's estimate of a reduction of 14% in visitor numbers for the year will be realised.'
The Minister said that 'unprecendented resources' are being made available to combat the effects of FMD, with £7m allocated to Bord Failte for a re-assurance campaign.
A Bord Failte spokesperson believes this campaign is already beginning to have a positive effect on tourism throughout the country.
The number of Irish visitors going abroad between January and March was 766,000, an increase of nearly 6% on the same period last year.
Earnings from visitors to Ireland accounted for £463m, an increase of nearly 6.2% on last year's first quarter, while spending by Irish visitors abroad came to £403m.
