Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I could listen to Deputy Bannon all day. I would have had no problem allowing him to continue to sing the virtues of his county. Deputies on this side of the House welcome this Bill and have no objections to it. We acknowledge and appreciate that the original Act provided that further legislation would have to be brought before the House if the €65 million cap was reached. It is no harm. I am sure it seemed like a colossal sum of money at the time. That this Bill is required proves there has been huge investment in tourism infrastructure in recent years. It has been upgraded substantially - directly by the Government and indirectly by Government agencies including Bord Fáilte, which is now Fáilte Ireland, and local authorities throughout the country. Local authorities have worked hand in hand with local representatives, organisations and associations affiliated to the tourism industry and to those who benefit directly from the industry.

Significant sums of money have been invested in the infrastructure of regions and population centres that depend on tourism. Basic infrastructure like water, sewerage and transport facilities needed to be upgraded and put on a footing that would serve these local areas well into the future. We hoped these improvements would benefit the sector and bring more visitors into these areas. As we know, this work was aided by various schemes and forms of grant aid. Deputy Bannon mentioned many of the tax incentive-based schemes that existed in these regions. These schemes have been the subject of much derision in the past ten or 15 years, but it cannot be denied that many centres of population that depend on the tourism industry were greatly enhanced by virtue of them. The accommodation associated with these centres is now on a footing which can be sustained into the future. The facilities in the vicinity of any such developments have also been upgraded, which is to be welcomed.

Having done this, it was then incumbent on the relevant authorities to upgrade and re-engage with existing attractions which had been successful during the years. There was much investment in areas such as Clonmacnoise and Bunratty Castle which one might call the old reliables that have proved popular for many visitors from throughout the world. Such work has been welcome. Like infrastructural development, these attractions now are on a sound footing for all those associated with their promotion to attract visitors, including new ones.

In recent years and from here on, as per all of the reports commissioned by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and others, the emphasis has been and should be on improving facilities and coming forward with new ideas and suggestions for attractions which can appeal to new generations and tourists who have never come to our shores. We are thinking of green, sports and educational tourism and looking at areas in which lifestyles and standards of living have improved in the past 20 to 30 years and from which we can seek to attract visitors to our shores. The means by which we do this are most important, too.

It is my belief and, I think, that of the holders of office that we must think outside the box in terms of the old reliables, as there is now a much more sophisticated audience to attract. For examples, many Deputies have pointed to their areas. The midlands region includes the counties of Offaly, Laois, Westmeath, Roscommon, etc. Unfortunately, when one looks at their performance, it is consistently in the bottom ten, but that is not to say there is not a great deal of good work being done. It is the job of the Government to offer extra facilities and services and give attention to these areas in order to reach the level expected. As I stated, the transport system has improved considerably - road, rail and air transport. People can now get around the country much more easily and in a short space of time, which is to be welcomed. However, we must look at specific regions which are underdeveloped and offer better and more assistance to them, whether it be financial or in the form of promotion.

One new programme in my area offers mountain biking in the Slieve Bloom Mountains. This is a popular activity in Scotland and Wales which are visited by many people from here on a regular basis. There is a group in County Offaly which received funding, initially from Fáilte Ireland, to carry out a study of how successful such a venture might be. It has proved that the group's plans are sound and that the venture can be profitable, both for the region and the country. We await the provision of further funding towards the cost of this worthwhile project. I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, has seen it on his desk and know that he will do everything possible to expedite it in order to give it the support it deserves and prove such events and programmes synonymous with an area can prove very successful for the country also. As I stated, that must be the thrust of future investment.

When looking at the regions, we must look at what a region has to offer that is distinct and what assistance the Minister can give, including capital funding towards the cost of building tracks, walkways and pathways to provide access to new attractions. Accessibility must be to the forefront of everything the Minister does. There are so many tourism groups and organisations doing all they can for their areas and it is incumbent on the Government to ensure there is synergy between them because the last thing we want is to have them all fighting their own battles and winning none. It is important that there be synergy in each region to identify and investigate new ideas to see how they can be advanced and improved upon.

We have invested heavily in the tourism sector. The Government has played its part in recent times, through the VAT reduction in the restaurant and hotel sector, which I welcomed. It has been of benefit to the sector which greatly appreciates it, as we all do. We all hope we will continue to come forward with such suggestions in order to improve the sector and, importantly, build up morale. There is some progress being made in this regard. This is imperative. I do not want to be party-political on this or any other issue in that regard because the consequences for the country are too serious to do anything else. There will be plenty of other occasions in years to come to win old battles and have slagging matches across the floor. Everything must be done to improve sectors such as this.

In recent times we have seen improvements in the agriculture industry and the synergy within all of its sectors with reference to Food Harvest 2020. We acknowledge that the Government has taken on board this document and is pursuing the input made by the previous Government. Every effort will be made by everybody concerned on the CAP proposals to ensure they will be successful and have no detrimental effect on rural areas, of which the agriculture industry is the bedrock. In these depressed times, with the aid of the Leader programme and county development organisations, etc., those involved in it have also diversified and provided extra tourism attractions to sustain the sector. This, too, must be acknowledged.

It is imperative that we get the basics right and the rest will follow. The Minister of State, Deputy Ring's heart is in the right place. He comes from a rural background in the west and is aware of the benefit of the sector to his constituency. He is also aware of the benefit of Knock airport, etc. Not only did it attract many people who had emigrated back to their locality, it also made it much easier to visit the region more often. The emphasis must now be on hitting new targets, for example, the Asian community. We must also work with the providers of education services, sports travel and a raft of other services to tap in to the tourism potential of each area.

See this speech in context