ENTERPRISE Ireland is currently in negotiations with two companies who are considering locating projects in Donegal. If successful, they may create 90 new jobs in the region, according to the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr McDaid

Dr McDaid was speaking at a ceremony to introduce the GoIreland.com (www.goireland.com) electronic business package. The site, which was developed by Touchtel four years ago, hopes to attract over three million visitors this year. It now says it plans to grow its Letterkenny workforce from 32 to 300 people. The employees will be involved in computer programming, research, data input and Internet marketing.

The announcement forms part of a major project with Donegal County Council, which is to relocate some of its headquarters to Letterkenny as part of a decentralisation programme. The GoIreland site will pose a considerable challenge to the Gulliver tourism database which operates a telephone reservation service for 11,000 Bord Failte and Northern Irish Tourist Board approved premises.

For a small fee the GoIreland site allows visitors make online reservations for a range of facilities including accommodation, restaurants and travel throughout Ireland. TouchTel, in association with Telecom Eireann and Bank of Ireland, will allow prospective travellers conduct reservation transactions via a secure credit card payment facility.

The electronic business package offers tourism facility providers (TFPs), including hoteliers, restaurateurs and publicans, the equipment necessary to conduct online transactions. TFPs will be able to control their own website presence, alter its content, offer special promotions and receive confirmed credit card reservations.

Once up and running a non-refundable deposit is paid by the booking visitor to GoIreland when making a reservation. The balance is then payable to the TFP. Information in the Booking Conditions area of the website clearly outlines strict conditions which need to be met, and failure to do so will result in a forfeit.