BORD Failte has said it is committed to marketing on an all Ireland basis, despite the recent violence in Northern Ireland.

"We are committed to an all Ireland marketing initiative, and I don't see that changing," said Mr Noel Toolan, Bord Failte's international marketing director.

Mr Toolan said that, while most consumers have a simplistic notion that Ireland is Ireland", there had not been any significant level of cancellations in the main markets of Britain, Europe and the United States. "It has also had no impact on our inquiry level which is always a good indicator," according to Mr Toolan. "Our inquiry levels in America haven't seen a blip," he added.

The issue of the violence was also not raised by consumers during research meetings held this week in Scotland and London, according to Mr Toolan. "There was no mention of the Troubles or anything like that which was encouraging."

He said that, while the joint Overseas Tourism Marketing Initiative advertising campaign, which promotes the island of Ireland as a tourist destination, had been temporarily halted after February's Canary Wharf bomb, it had quickly restarted, and had now run its course.