Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We still have to work on the other products we have in the county. When people go there we try to get them to see what else we have on offer and to develop small attractions that would bring people to stay. I mentioned to witnesses at previous meetings that we are struggling with a few projects for attractions that we are trying to develop due to inflation and a lack of funding. One is Knights and Conquests Heritage Centre in Granard. We received funding to build a Norman heritage village. We had projected that we would have between 30,000 and 40,000 visitors a year but, unfortunately, that has not gotten off the ground yet due to the increased costs. Any help from people in the industry to lobby the Government on our behalf for Government and Fáilte Ireland funding would be most welcome.

I am conscious of time. Mr. Cummins mentioned education and tourism. They are subjects I have discussed with him previously. We need to develop tourism and hospitality as a career. The whole industry is struggling to get people to work in it. We must promote it better and link in with the third level sector, universities and ETBs and create a stronger career focus in that regard. I have spoken previously about a centre of excellence in cuisine. There are very few. We had one in Killybegs and there used to be one on Cathal Brugha Street and now, I think the one in Killarney is the only place in the country.

We excel when it comes to produce and we are proud of what we produce in our country. It is top-class worldwide, but we do not actually promote our own food industry enough. There is a massive opportunity to develop that, build on that and develop a proper centre in the country. I will be biased; I am looking for it to be in the midlands because this would make it accessible to everyone around the country. That is the way we need to incentivise it and promote it as a career in order to get people into it. That will then fill the jobs that will become available.