Ms Karla Piner:

We cannot underestimate the sheer value. After the last committee meeting, I wrote to all committee members about my experience of staying in Youghal last May. Why did I go to Youghal? Because Ballymaloe was having a food festival. I could not get accommodation locally, so I ended up half an hour away. The fallout of that was three people for three nights who spent just under €2,000 on food, drink, festival tickets and so on. That is a huge amount of money for three people over one weekend in Youghal. My property has an excellent restaurant next door. I can send 15 guests in there on a Monday night. Then they go to the pub and then to the farm café for their breakfast. It is a huge amount of money in the economy. We should not underestimate that.