Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The main business of the meeting is the consideration of the issue of Tourism: An Industry Strategy for Growth to 2025. I welcome Mr. Eoghan O'Mara Walsh, chief executive officer, and Mr. Maurice Pratt, chairman, Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, ITIC. Tourism is Ireland's largest indigenous industry, employing 230,000 people, according to Tourism Ireland. It also provides jobs in parts of the country, rural and urban, with many local communities benefiting from revenue generated by visitors. However, despite the success of the industry to date, it is important that we continue to develop and invest in our tourism offering. The ITIC set out a roadmap for the industry's growth in the coming decade and we will now examine it greater detail, identify the key growth areas, potential challenges and what State agencies should do to sustain and expand the industry.

By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give to the committee. If, however, they are directed by it to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official, either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I invite Mr. Eoghan O'Mara Walsh to make his opening statement.