Irish tourism, culture and sport minister Mary Hanafin has chaired the first meeting of an industry-wide group established to help drive growth in the country's tourism sector.

The industry has been severely affected by the downturn in the number of inbound visitors to the country, and the Tourism Renewal Implementation Group now aims to develop solutions to reverse the decline.

A number of representatives have been appointed to the group, which is tasked with overseeing measures to support the Irish tourism sector and highlight any issues that might hinder progress.

Hanafin said: "The tourism and hospitality sector is a significant source of jobs throughout the country and is the single most important indigenous industry we have. It creates opportunities for people across a range of skills and backgrounds in urban and rural locations.

"The tourism sector has faced perhaps the greatest set of challenges in decades. This new Tourism Renewal Implementation Group will oversee measures to support tourism in Ireland to ensure that the sector is positioned for recovery and growth."

Niall Gibbons and Shaun Quinn - the chief executives of Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland respectively; Eamonn McKeon, chief executive of the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation; and Irish Ferries marketing director Tony Kelly are among the group's members.