Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We heard about the number of people moving to Canada and Australia. How many people are emigrating to those two countries? Emphasis was placed on the welcome growth in exports and the trade surplus. Contrary to perceived wisdom, the increase in exports has not been matched by a rise in employment. Given that the third Global Irish Economic Forum will specifically address the issue of employment, how can we maximise the value of exports to the economy? How can we better integrate foreign direct investment with Irish suppliers to assist the domestic economy? What do we need to do differently in this area?

We heard that The Gathering has the potential to increase tourist numbers by 320,000. The cost of travelling to Ireland is a cause for concern. Has any engagement taken place with airlines, ferry companies and so forth on prices? This appears to be one of the gaps in the strategy of The Gathering. While I am aware that some hoteliers have taken action in this regard, have specific discussions taken place with the companies that bring tourists to Ireland?