Mr. Paul Kelly:

I thank Deputy Clarke for her range of questions. Fáilte Ireland is fully committed to Ireland's Hidden Heartlands. In the Longford-Westmeath constituency we work very closely in support of Centre Parcs, which employed 1,000 people. It is in the process of reopening and bringing back an awful lot of those staff members, which is a fantastic addition to the national tourism economy, particularly in that region. Fáilte Ireland regularly engages with all the groups the Deputy mentioned. We have a continuing commitment. Ireland's Hidden Heartlands is in its infancy, but it has met with a fantastic reaction and engagement. Before the pandemic we saw more businesses from that region than ever before attending international trade shows to build the reputation of the region internationally as well as domestically. The cancellation of festivals is a national story. Every county and every artist in the country is struggling with that. Unfortunately, that is where we are. We are committed to continuing with Ireland's Hidden Heartlands. We are engaging with all stakeholders, including angling concerns and coach operators. We are doing an awful lot of work to get those areas on to the agenda.

The Deputy referred to the "Ireland, make a break for it" campaign. We carry out extensive consumer research to find the most powerful message to encourage people to get up and go on holidays here in Ireland. Moreover, through public relations and the other mechanisms mentioned by another Deputy earlier, we are trying to spread the message that it is the right and patriotic thing to do.