Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for not being here for the presentation. Looking through the material, I see there are some significant figures and I very much welcome that there will be a third economic global forum on 4 and 5 October. I would like to comment on the remarks of Senator Daly on resourcing. Some 320,000 extra tourists are expected to visit Ireland this year. Are there early indications this will happen? I would like to see The Gathering initiative continued throughout the coming decade. We have set a rate for the next decade, featuring a good number of significant milestones in our history, and there will be considerable opportunities to attract people to Ireland on the basis of these significant anniversaries and centenaries. The forum will help to initiate job creation projects, but it will take time for some of them to come on stream. Tourism can have a much more significant and quick impact and it has a positive impact on economic activity.

I very much welcome that the third forum in October will focus on the challenges facing the domestic economy. Many of us around this table come from rural Ireland and we see the devastation in every small town throughout the country, with business closures and difficulties that have arisen for many small operators. The concept is positive. The more connections we can make with the Irish diaspora throughout the world, the better for the country. We have many very successful business people scattered throughout Ireland who are prepared to give willingly of their time, energy and resources to help the country. This was never more needed than it is now.