Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It was one of those interesting days and fair play to him.

I congratulate Fáilte Ireland on hitting 10 million visitors, the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East and Ireland's Hidden Heartlands. All these projects have made a huge difference.

Coming from a constituency of Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon and Donegal, I see first-hand facilities such as the surfing school at Strand Hill. Tourism is a way of life and much can be done. Access to the areas is important. Like the Tuam-Gort bypass, we need better access. The train takes three hours from Dublin to Sligo. The access is just not there. We need a motorway to the north west.

Many people have gone to Center Parcs Ireland already. That will help keep tourists in the country. Young families who want such a holiday now do not have to holiday abroad and go to Dublin Airport or Shannon Airport. It will be a game changer for many of the areas around Center Parcs Ireland.

I started out with a bar and restaurant in Boyle which employed 30 people. I started out in politics by being the chairperson of the Lough Key Forest Park action group. Coillte could not draw down European regional development grants for Lough Key forest. I got Roscommon County Council on board which was able to draw down EU funding. This partnership has worked over the past 20 years with a significant tourism facility. There is an issue with hotel provision, however. The two hotels we had in the area have closed. No one will build a hotel because they can buy one in Ballaghaderreen for €200,000 or in Gorteen for €150,000. I cannot get the Minister to fund a hotel there. I am trying to get the local authority to build a hotel and lease it out. It is embarrassing. There are about five or six tourist towns which are missing out because of this. What do we do in this situation? A hotel is a social infrastructure. One cannot get people to invest until the climate is right. What would Fáilte Ireland’s advice be?