John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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We now proceed to No. 9 on the agenda, engagement with the chairperson designate of Fáilte Ireland, Mr. Michael Cawley. I apologise to Mr. Cawley for the number of absent members. There is a great deal going on in the Houses today, but perhaps we can assume that these absences mean there is universal approval for his appointment. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the approach the chairperson designate will take in his proposed new role and his views on the challenges facing Fáilte Ireland. Members will be aware of the Government decision of May 2011 which put new arrangements in place for the appointment of persons to State boards and bodies. The committee welcomes the opportunity to meet with the chairperson designate in public session to hear his views. We trust that this engagement will provide greater transparency to the process of appointment to State boards and bodies.

I draw attention to the fact that, by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the joint committee. However, 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 a person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Opening statements submitted to the committee will be published on its website after the meeting. 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. Cawley to make his opening statement.

Mr. Michael Cawley:

I am honoured to have been asked by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to become chairman designate of the National Tourism Development Authority or, as it is better known, Fáilte Ireland. I thank the Chairman and committee members for their invitation to present to the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications.
I was born and reared in Cork city. My father was a Garda detective sergeant and my mother, a housewife. I am the youngest of five children and have two elder sisters and brothers. Having attended Coláiste Chríost Rí, I completed a B. Comm degree at University College Cork in 1975 and qualified as a chartered accountant in 1978, having worked with Coopers and Lybrand for three years. I lectured for one year at UCC before joining Frank Boland Limited, a motor distributor, as financial accountant in 1979. Subsequently, I worked as finance manager and sales and distribution manager with Kodak Ireland before joining Athlone Extrusions, a plastics manufacturer, as financial controller in 1986. I was promoted to managing director in 1989 and led a management buy-out in 1990. The company was subsequently successfully floated on the Irish Stock Exchange.
Having spent three years as finance director of the Gowan Group, one of Ireland’s largest private family-run companies, I joined Ryanair as chief financial officer in 1997. In this role I was centrally involved in the airline’s flotation on the Dublin and NASDAQ Stock Exchanges in 1997 and its subsequent listing on the London Stock Exchange in 1998. In 1998 I assumed additional responsibility for the commercial department and was promoted to the position of deputy chief executive and chief operating officer in 2002. In this role, as well as deputising for the chief executive, I had responsibility for all airport negotiations, route selection, pricing, yield management, scheduling, sales and marketing, Ryanair.comand ancillary sales. In addition, I played a key role in investor relations and strategic management. My role involved managing relationships with governments, both national and regional, tourist authorities and industry players such as hotel groups.
During my time in Ryanair the airline grew its business from 3 million passengers in 1997 flying on nine routes with nine aircraft to 81 million passengers in 2013 flyng on 1,600 routes with 309 aircraft. In those 16 years Ryanair sold over 600 million seats and grew to be Europe’s biggest airline and the worlds’ largest international carrier. I stepped down from a full-time executive role in Ryanair on 31 March this year but will remain as a non-executive board member.
I am also a non-executive director of Paddy Power plc and Kingspan plc, both publicly quoted companies, as well as Prepay Power, a privately owned company involved in the energy sector.
In considering the further development of the tourism industry the key themes I wish to highlight are growth – earnings and employment growth. Like all sectors of the economy, tourism has been adversely impacted on by the recent recession. However, I believe the sector is now turning a corner and moving from a phase of business survival into one of recovery and growth. Tourism is one of Ireland’s largest indigenous industries and has considerable potential to grow not just in Dublin but also in the regions. The majority of tourists come from overseas markets. Over 80% of international visitors to Ireland come from North America, Britain, Germany and France. Consequently, economic conditions, employment levels and consumer sentiment in these countries can greatly influence the fortunes of the tourism industry. We are fortunate that these three factors in these key markets are turning positive once again. Irish tourism looks set to continue the early signs of growth which emerged last year. It is important to point out, however, that some countries grew their tourism numbers even during the economic downturn. There is much we can do to help increase our share of the market, irrespective of the external environment. The extent to which Irish tourism captures this growth opportunity, with its undoubted earnings and jobs dividend, depends on how it responds to several challenges which I will outline.
Members of the committee will be aware that the tourism industry has an important role to play in Ireland’s economic recovery. Tourism generates significant export earnings and initial Central Statistics Office, CSO, estimates indicate that tourism and travel earnings from overseas trips to Ireland amounted to some €4.1 billion in 2013. Tourism also makes a significant contribution to employment and jobs growth. Last year, based on the CSO’s narrow measure of employment in accommodation and food services, employment in the sector increased by almost 15,000 to 138,000. Using a wider measure, including accommodation and food services, Fáilte Ireland estimates that the industry employs some 200,000 people. If the improved performance in 2013 can be built upon - early indications for 2014 are positive - we can be confident of again reaching the peak level of 7.7 million overseas visitors recorded in 2007 and, in time, our longer term target of 10 million visitors.
There are, however, key issues to be addressed. The first challenge facing Irish tourism is the continuing need to enhance competitiveness. During the Celtic tiger era price levels in the tourism sector rose to unsustainable levels. Our customers sought better value and other destinations improved their competitiveness. Ireland became known as a relatively expensive country to visit. In common with many sectors of the economy, the tourism sector has reduced costs in the past few years as business models were reappraised and the cost base re-engineered. This has had the effect of improving value for money, although it has taken some years for this improvement to be recognised. Fortunately, however, recent research confirms that Ireland’s value for money rating has improved significantly. This improved value for money position reflects several factors, including price reductions across the full range of tourism goods and services, service improvements that represent enhanced value for the consumer and the retention of the very important 9% VAT rate on tourism items, announced in last year’s budget. It is important to remember, however, that in common with all sectors of economic activity, the tourism sector competes with other countries and regions which are also seeking to improve their competitiveness and attractiveness to international tourists.
As an island destination, Ireland is wholly reliant on competitively priced access transport. A key challenge to tourism will be to grow our extensive network of air and sea access routes to facilitate travel from our key source markets. I am particularly pleased to acknowledge the progress made on providing improved air access in 2014. The abolition of the air travel tax has been a key element in reversing a previously downward trend. Additional routes have been added and the quality of access in carriers and destinations serviced has improved. The task is to enhance this position further. Undoubtedly, the reduction to zero of the air passenger tax has been critical in this regard, as would further measures such as reduced airport charges which would enhance the attractiveness of Ireland to new and existing carriers.
To succeed, the tourism industry will need to be crystal clear on what it is offering the international visitor. This is sometimes referred to as our tourism product offering. It is important that it meet the expectations of tourists whom we know are looking for both value and a unique and authentic Irish experience during their visit to the country.

The challenge is to ensure the experience matches their expectations. This is particularly important because the Irish tourism experience is probably somewhat more nuanced than in other destinations. Research tells us that many visitors to Ireland want to get involved in an authentic "experience" and that these experiences are mainly rooted in three principal tourism assets – our natural heritage, our built heritage and our cultural heritage. These are also assets that – when presented properly – can differentiate Irish tourism from competing destinations.

We also need to know exactly which consumers we should be targeting for growth. In that regard, I understand that Fáilte Ireland has been engaged in a very significant research programme over the past 18 months to understand better who these people are and what it is they want to do when in Ireland. Just like any other consumer-based business, it is vital that we understand what the consumer wants or we simply will not capture the growth we are targeting.

I believe that a further challenge facing Irish tourism is to determine how and where it should promote itself so as to achieve a stand-out position in the international marketplace. Tourism is a global industry characterised by a very noisy marketplace with many firms, tourism boards, channels and competing destinations. It is also characterised by the bombarding of consumers with a great deal of choice and information. Furthermore, we know that tourism consumers carry out a considerable amount of research prior to booking, most of it online. Tourism consumers are, therefore, very much in the "digital space" and they routinely use online and social media channels to access and share information. I understand there is now considerable evidence to suggest that this peer-exchanged information or user-generated content is now more influential in steering consumer buying behaviour than anything a governmental agency or official tourism board can say. The challenge, therefore, is clear. If consumer research and information exchange predominantly takes place in digital media, Irish tourism's message and communication must be largely positioned in that same digital media. Equally, if the credibility of official websites has peaked, Irish tourism businesses, and collectively the Irish tourism industry, need to respond to this challenge. Fáilte Ireland will, of course, maintain its own online presence, but the real challenge may be in assisting tourism enterprises to stand out in these noisy sales channels by positioning compelling and creative content in the digital domain.

I would like to comment briefly on the regional impact of tourism. The growth of tourism to 2007 and its more recent signs of recovery are well documented. In reality, I am aware that not all parts of the country have benefited to the same extent. Given the clear economic and social benefits of tourism, it should be a stated goal to achieve an improved distribution of tourism benefits across Ireland. Regional distribution must be linked back to my comments on growth at the outset. It can never be about attempting to engineer some forced reallocation of a fixed tourism pie. It must be about expanding the overall pie by encouraging and supporting more businesses in becoming involved in tourism, most particularly those which bring fresh insights, innovation and new ideas. In this regard, the role of regional airports and consequent direct air access to the regions from international markets are particularly important.

As an industry, tourism has one attribute which makes it relatively unique. It is sometimes referred to as "an industry of every parish". In other words, unlike pharmaceuticals or financial services, which are often tightly clustered in one particular region or city, tourism has the potential to take place in any part of the country. However, it cannot be forced into place by some official policy. It remains a matter for those local communities and those local businesses that want a slice of the tourism action to come up with a service or an experience that will prompt the individual consumer to choose to go and visit their part of the country. This is their challenge. This, of course, will be easier to do in a growing industry.

As Irish people, we are all justifiably proud of our parishes and our counties. Parish and county are core features of the Irish social fabric. This is a strength and it is also a reason why The Gathering worked so well last year. Community engagement and community activation, rather than any action of an official agency, were the real reasons that initiative succeeded. I have a strong sense that we need to be careful not to allow what is a strength in a local context to become a limitation in a global one. As I mentioned a moment ago, tourism is a global industry, and many Irish tourist destinations and indeed many Irish counties do not enjoy a high recognition factor among international consumers. So while local communities and tourism businesses must work hard at putting together their tourism service or experience, Fáilte Ireland can play a stronger role in bundling these experiences together so as to build saleable propositions of scale and significance which can be sold internationally and which need not be tagged with a county label. The success of the Wild Atlantic Way initiative is an example of this principle in action and shows that this is the way to go in the future.

As chairman designate of Fáilte Ireland, I am particularly concerned about ensuring value for money in respect of all State funding and delivering the optimum return for the government on its investment in Irish tourism. In doing so, I am aware that I will benefit from momentum based on earlier programmes of work. Over the past eight years Fáilte Ireland has led and facilitated a reduction in the number of tourism boards in the country from ten in 2006 to two today. It has significantly reduced its overhead costs through an aggressive programme of outsourcing and shared services and has managed to reduce its staff complement in line with the challenging targets set out in the Government's public sector reform programme. These achievements have secured significant savings for the Exchequer while at the same time delivering a more attractive tourism offering for the consumer.

Fáilte Ireland has also played a lead role in supporting prudent capital investment in tourism product and infrastructure. Over the past five years, a total of €120 million has been invested in tourism assets such as the Viking Quarter in Waterford, the Medieval Mile in Kilkenny, the Greenway in Mayo, King John's Castle in Limerick, Malahide Castle in Dublin and Killarney House in Kerry. These are just a few examples from almost 60 projects which are now driving incremental overseas visitor numbers and spending in locations across the country. I believe there is a strong case for further significant capital investment in our tourism product if we are to be serious about regaining and increasing our market share. However, such investment decisions must be based on a detailed analysis of the potential of candidate projects to attract additional visitors and, in turn, additional revenues from outside the country. It is my hope to work closely with the executive team at Fáilte Ireland in supporting the important areas of work outlined above, in overcoming the challenges involved and in realising the growth that all involved in Irish tourism now believe to be possible.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank Mr. Cawley. He is obviously determined to bring the same energy to this job as he did to others down the years. I have a few quick questions to ask before I hand over to Senator Mooney, who I understand is deputising for Deputy Dooley, because I know everyone is under time constraints. What has Fáilte Ireland done well in respect of marketing? Obviously, Mr. Cawley referred to The Gathering as one thing. Are there things it could have done better?

I welcome the fact that Mr. Cawley mentioned the key role of regional airports, given that Ireland West Airport Knock is in my backyard and the importance of that. At times, those involved with this airport have felt that the region was not being targeted sufficiently and that the marketing was more global and encouraged people to come to Ireland rather than to a particular region.

Mr. Cawley mentioned improved competitiveness, which is very welcome. We are facing into the concert season soon. Garth Brooks is filling all the bedrooms around Dublin and Leinster and I am sure they will be at a premium price. Is there any way of ensuring that tourists are not ripped off on big occasions such as that?

Mr. Michael Cawley:

The first thing I should say is that in my previous position, I dealt with tourist organisations in over 30 countries and I would rate both Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland as being among the best. That is not a new story for me. It has been a constant theme. That is not to say they cannot improve. One of the most important things I stated is that we need to be very cognisant of what the consumer wants, because the consumer has never had so much choice and is literally being bombarded with information.

Tourism has great potential to grow. This is not just a truism but is borne out by the experience of other countries, many of which do not have the wide variety of attractions that we have. While we think typically of southern European countries, many others which do not have the weather or beach tourism of those countries have also done extremely well. I point to the importance of knowing what the consumer wants. Research recently undertaken by Fáilte Ireland with Tourism Ireland will feed into this. While we are each very proud of our parish or county and think it is the most attractive place in the world to visit, the message must meet expectations, and the delivery must meet and, hopefully, exceed customers' expectations, because they have a wide choice.

The Gathering was a national initiative, and the Wild Atlantic Way could be called a half-national initiative in that it covers half the country. This seems to be the way to target foreign consumers, because while local places may be known to the Irish tourist staying at home, they are not well known abroad. With budget constraints we are seeking value for money, and it does not make sense to advertise small areas abroad. Hopefully, where foreign tourists choose to go along the Wild Atlantic Way will be random and everybody will get their share of it, but the consumer will choose. The Gathering has taught us that we must have a global message, and we will help and guide individual areas to make the most of their attributes. Fáilte Ireland is working on a similar concept for the east of the country, apart from Dublin. A general concept must be communicated abroad so that regions such as Kilkenny and Waterford can benefit from a more global type of marketing in which they can participate as regions.

I share the Chairman's concerns about competitiveness. There is a certain cycle in hotel prices, although it is not as bad as the property market. There have been very substantial increases in Dublin hotel room rates, and not just around special events. There is general under-supply in the Dublin market. Hopefully this can be alleviated by development over time. It is healthy in that it reflects good demand, but unhealthy if it chokes demand and gives people a bad experience. We must be conscious of international comparisons. In my personal experience, the kind of competitiveness we have seen, particularly in restaurants, in Dublin has not necessarily filtered all the way down the country. While the market will take care of these matters, the very special deals one gets in restaurants in Dublin, the greater Dublin area and the bigger cities are not found in some rural areas. While they may have a short season of which they must take advantage, they must be more competitive. Being competitive does not necessarily mean cutting one's price but can mean enhancing one's offering. There are many ways of being innovative about giving value for money without necessarily cutting one's price. We must all be conscious of the wide choice consumers have and the fact that we need to be competitive in the broad sense from the point of view of both price and value.

I share the Chairman's concern about the Dublin hotel market. Hopefully the rise in prices is temporary. For special events such as the Garth Brooks concerts it will be very exaggerated. There is a structural issue that must be addressed apart from that over the next year or two. It is well known that there is a shortage of bedrooms in Dublin relative to the demand emerging. This must be addressed, or else we will regain a reputation for being expensive.

Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)
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The Chairman has covered the essential elements. I welcome Mr. Cawley. Some of us were exercised by his name. The fact that his father was a detective sergeant would indicate that he was not from Cork. We were wondering if there was a Sligo connection.

Mr. Michael Cawley:

We discovered he would have been a near neighbour of the Chairman. He is deceased since 1979.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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We are claiming him for Mayo.

Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)
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Are you?

Mr. Michael Cawley:

They went far and wide.

Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)
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It was reflected in Mr. Cawley's excellent presentation, which covered all the bases. I compliment him on it. I come from Drumshanbo, County Leitrim. In terms of tourist numbers, the north west has always been below the radar relative to other areas of the country. I fully understand that the consumer chooses.

Should the separate roles of Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland be clarified for the public? Traditionally there was one tourism brand, Bord Fáilte. When people talk about tourism they still refer to Bord Fáilte, and there is some indication that people are not very clear on the fact that the two organisations, both of which perform excellently, have separate and distinct roles. Tourism Ireland does an excellent job of bringing tourists here and Fáilte Ireland ensures they are looked after well once they are here.

Mr. Cawley said there had been consolidation in the structures of Fáilte Ireland in recent years. Was it a good thing? As somebody who comes from a very strong business background I appreciate that Mr. Cawley must implement Government policy and cannot change it. Is there a question mark over how it has been rationalised? Traditionally all the stakeholders were involved at regional level with the regional boards and they were all pulling together. Admittedly, there was an internal dynamic, even within the north west, which traditionally comprises Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim, although it included Cavan and Monaghan for a while. Inevitably, Donegal was the dominant county in the north west. Of Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, Galway is probably the dominant county. It had a dynamic of its own in that it engaged all the stakeholders, local authorities and everybody involved. This layer seems to be missing.

In my county, the county council funds a tourism forum and officer, and the same must be true in other local authorities, but it seems bitty. As has often been pointed out to me, an American who is looking at a map of Ireland does not single out Mayo or Leitrim, and if he or she puts a hand on the map, Ireland disappears. Given that such a person does not distinguish between Dublin and the rest of the country, dispersing tourists is a difficulty for Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland. Mr. Cawley has referred to this and it will be a challenge. While I do not want to labour the point too much, I am curious to hear Mr. Cawley's views, as somebody who comes from a very structured business background, on whether there is room for improvement.

Inevitably, the question about the primary reason for Mr. Cawley's appointment arises. I will put it in a different way. With such an impressive curriculum vitae in the business world, and coming from the world's most successful airline, why did Mr. Cawley bother? I am a great fan of Ryanair and Michael O'Leary. Mr. Cawley's primary position in Ryanair in the past 15 years was reflected in his presentation. Mr. Cawley is to be complimented on the growth of Ryanair, which has filtered through to the growth of Irish tourism. Why would Mr. Cawley want the job? He must have thought long and hard about it, and his presentation reflects that to some degree. I would like to tease it out with him. There must be something he wants to do; what is it? Given the choices he faces, what is the first thing he will do?

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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As there is a vote in the Dáil on the banking inquiry, we will suspend for 15 or 20 minutes.

Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)
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Would Mr. Cawley answer the questions I have asked if there is time? It should not take too long.

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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The bell has been ringing for five minutes.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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As it has been ringing for four or five minutes, we need to suspend. I apologise. It is beyond my control.

Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)
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Although I may not be here when the meeting resumes because I have another appointment, Mr. Cawley's answers will be on the record.

Mr. Michael Cawley:

No problem.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I will now take questions from Deputy Patrick O'Donovan.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I welcome Mr. Cawley and thank him for his presentation. I am sure he understand the constraints under which we are working and which have necessitated several suspensions of the proceedings.

I come from a part of the country, County Limerick, that has been bypassed by the tourism industry. We are located along one of the most important strategic roads in Ireland in terms of the tourism industry, linking Dublin with County Kerry and the south west. In the past 40 years, however, our tourism potential has been bypassed. In the case of Shannon Development, for example, there was a huge emphasis on Bunratty and the Shannon area, which was fair enough. At the same time, the increased expenditure on roads which brought Limerick city and, in turn, County Kerry closer to Dublin in terms of travelling time saw my part of County Limerick being even more overlooked than it had been before. As we know, Shannon Development is no more and Fáilte Ireland's tourism remit is now slightly different. In terms of these areas, not just in County Limerick but all over the country which do not roll off the tongue as easily as some of the other tourism destinations, what does Mr. Cawley envisage Fáilte Ireland doing to change direction? I realise one cannot drag visitors into specific areas, but something should be done to encourage them to do so. Every part of the country has something different to sell and something that makes it attractive to potential visitors. When it comes to marketing, however, in the area I represent it seems to be the same old faces and places - hoteliers, restaurateurs and so on - that are constantly promoted.

I know that in his previous life Mr. Cawley would have seen the benefits of the separation of Shannon Airport from the Dublin Airport Authority. Is there anything else from his previous life that he could envisage the Government pursuing to try to get people to come to airports such as Shannon?

I ask about the involvement of Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, the Northern Ireland Tourism Board, local authorities and the National Roads Authority in trying to encourage people to visit destinations that were heretofore bypassed. Just before the vote, Deputy Griffin, who is sitting beside me, said that the Limerick to Listowel route by the coast road, the N69, through Askeaton, Foynes and Glin into Listowel is not promoted to any great extent. I am sure there are multiple examples of that throughout the country.

I wish Mr. Cawley well in his new role. Great credit is due to him for taking on this role. Given our major reliance on two pillars, agriculture and the tourism industry, anything that can be done to advance them should be welcomed.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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I welcome Mr. Cawley and thank him for a very comprehensive presentation. The figures for his time at Ryanair are very impressive, with passenger numbers increasing twentyfold. Of course he is under no pressure to do something similar for our visitor numbers. I hope we can get tourism back to 2007 levels as quickly as possible. When does Mr. Cawley envisage us getting back to those levels and surpassing them?

I come from a tourist county, Kerry. I acknowledge the importance of Government policy in helping our tourism industry, including scrapping the travel tax and the introduction of the 9% VAT rate, which is a very successful initiative. It represents a beacon for other sectors of the economy and we should try to apply it more widely across the economy. How can we ensure that the industry is passing that on to the consumer? The danger is that over time these things get absorbed back and the overall price may go back up again.

Obviously Mr. Cawley's experience in the aviation sector is very important. In a way the nature of holidaymaking has changed greatly because people are now going to where the flights take them. That is guiding many people in their choices of holiday destinations. Is there any potential conflict of interest in terms of his history and close association with Ryanair? That is not a personal remark in any way. I ask him to address concerns people might have in that regard.

As Ireland is an island, people can only come here by air or by sea. How does Mr. Cawley believe we can improve access to the country by sea, especially now that we have the Wild Atlantic Way and so many driving routes? What more can we do to bring in people by sea?

Mr. Michael Cawley:

Deputy O'Donovan asked about marketing. The Gathering gave us both lessons and optimism for the future. When budgets are constrained, we must market large sections of the country abroad and then individual communities can take advantage of that. On the one hand the marketing of The Gathering or the Wild Atlantic Way as a concept is the right way to go as I mentioned in my presentation. We get economies of scale by having perhaps three regions - Dublin, the east and the Wild Atlantic Way. We are then focusing all our resources on that in order to get the people in.

The local communities who showed such readiness in The Gathering give me great hope and optimism. Considering the people employed in tourism in Ireland, we have a much higher cost because historically - before The Gathering - we had a low level of voluntary involvement. We need to encourage more voluntary involvement because it helps the community socially as well as from an economic perspective. The Gathering gave us a taste of that. I do not seek to exploit people, but this is a feature, for example, in Scotland where there is a much higher level of voluntary involvement by people in visitor centres and in a variety of other activities that benefit tourism and benefit from tourism. We must cultivate that.

Deputy Griffin spoke about the impact of a tax reduction. It will not surprise committee members to hear that I am a firm believer that Government can produce the environment in which business will thrive, but it is up to individuals to respond to that beneficial environment and not for the Government to fix it. Fáilte Ireland will give its expert analysis based on its research and will give technical help and so on. However, it cannot ultimately coax or encourage people into individual places. There is no better source of that initiative than local people. I live in Wicklow and could pinpoint the need for that in individual parts of our county, which in theory is a very attractive county. However, the way it is presented and the way individual communities take advantage of that varies greatly throughout the county. That is not to say that one has better resources or better attractiveness objectively than another. We need people to engage at a community level. We will be very active in bringing people into the country, producing a package for Tourism Ireland to present abroad but then we need individual communities.

Senator Mooney asked me about engagement locally. As I am new and ironically even though I have considerable experience in tourism, I do not have great experience of Irish tourism because 6% or 7% of Ryanair's business was through Ireland. However, I generally know what is good and what is bad abroad. I want to match that with local knowledge that I hope to acquire over the next six to 12 months by engaging with people locally on whom we depend for ideas. I have some ideas of my own but I would not claim to be an expert who knows how to attract people into every corner of the country.

The Gathering gave us the optimism that that can happen. It gave the engagement of people and an overall call to action that got people back into all parts of the country - very few parts were not affected in some positive way by that. We need to harness that local involvement and the overall global issue to attract people here in the first place.

Deputy O'Donovan mentioned the separation of Shannon Airport from the Dublin Airport Authority, which was one of the best things to happen. I would like it to also happen with Cork Airport because the independence of the airports gives them the opportunity to compete. In Italy, for example, the airports are independent of one another as distinct from Spain where they are owned centrally. The competitiveness of airports in local regions with them making packages attractive for many airlines and not just Ryanair has underpinned sustained tourism growth in Italy over the past ten years. There have been ten years of unbroken tourism growth in that country despite starting from a fairly high base and despite the recession in many of its source markets, such as Germany, United Kingdom etc. It has succeeded in doing that because the airports were active.

We want to see independent airports, as we have with Ireland West and Kerry. Cork Airport is the glaring example of exception to that. Shannon Airport has shown the way and how it can be. Shannon Airport will record double-digit growth this year; it also grew last year and I believe it has the basis for further growth in future years. That would be very important for Deputy O'Donovan's and Deputy Griffin's regions. We know that Shannon Airport is a feeder into Kerry as well as north into Clare and Galway. That is very positive and while I know there are financial issues for Cork Airport with an overhang of debt and so on, I hope that will be a high priority for the Government.

With regard to the relationship between tourism bodies, I worked with both in my previous job and found them very harmonious. In crude terms, it is Fáilte Ireland's job to prepare the product offering which I spoke about earlier and Tourism Ireland's function to market the product on an international stage. They collaborate and I will be seeking to enhance this collaboration where there is no duplication of effort. We can both find out together, through one piece of research, what consumers want. We should not duplicate this work. This work was done collaboratively in the past and I want to see it constantly updated because consumer preferences change.

To answer Deputy Griffin's question, I hope we will return to 2007 levels no later than 12 to 18 months from now. We can aspire to 10 million tourists over the next four to five years and the benefits this would have for the country would be huge. As I stated earlier I would like to see this throughout the regions as well in as traditional tourist areas such as Dublin which, perhaps, has an overconcentration at present. We do not have too much in Dublin but we need to spread it around.

With regard to ensuring savings in VAT are passed on to customers, we must let this to the market to a certain extent. This sounds very passive but I am a firm believer that if we assume there is not a cartel working, which I hope there is not, in tourist destinations that individual restaurants and hotels who are the beneficiaries of this reduction in VAT will compete actively with one another, and when they are full more capacity will come on the market and more employment will be created. With tax reductions the overriding issue is that the Government, with the reduction in VAT and the abolition of the aviation tax, has provided an excellent environment in which growth can occur. I am very confident it will. Competition will force people, not always but over the long term, to pass on the savings because we and they will not get the growth if they do not.

The question on a potential conflict with Ryanair was interesting. One of the advantages, I hope there are a few, that I will bring to the position is I have a very clear understanding of what motivates airlines to initiate services to a particular country, which is if it makes economic sense for them. This is why I would particularly like to see Cork become independent so it can compete. There is a price for providing services to airlines which is a cost input for an airline. It is like staying in one hotel beside another hotel. If British Airways is sitting in London deciding whether to fly a spare aircraft to Venice, Cork or Dublin it will look at the various costs of the airport against the revenue it will receive. Frankly this is one of the reasons Cork passenger numbers have fallen. The revenues which airlines can earn are not sufficient to cover the excessive costs being charged there. I understand this very clearly. It is not just a Ryanair phenomenon; it is a Ryanair phenomenon, but it is also a British Airways and Aer Lingus phenomenon. They are all in a competitive world and make decisions on this basis. I have been a great supporter of Irish tourism in my time with Ryanair. We have had many opportunities to expand throughout the 35 countries in the open skies regime in Europe. We have acted on the basis that if it meant nothing to our shareholders we would always give the bounce of the ball to Irish tourism. Last year we made a commitment that if the aviation tax was abolished we would deliver 1 million passengers to Ireland. We will exceed this in Dublin, Shannon and Ireland West Airport Knock. Unfortunately Kerry and Cork airports will have fewer passengers this year. I hope this will be reversed in the future for the reasons I mentioned earlier. I do not see a conflict.

The question on access by sea is interesting. Fortunately or unfortunately - it is because our aviation industry is so strong - sea access accounts for only 5% or less of all our tourists. I would like to increase all access. I suspect ferry companies - and I have not spoken to the ferry companies but I will - make their decisions on the same basis as airline companies. If it makes economic sense for them they will do it. There is a marine industry which can be promoted with regard to people bringing in their own craft. I am not clear, because I am not an expert on it, what contribution this could possibly make but I will certainly investigate it. We are very rich in marine resources with regard to harbours. Some of the oldest yacht clubs in the world are in this country. We need to build on this and I am sure they will bring big added value to the tourist sector.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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We have potential with regard to putting in place an environment, similar to the moves made with the airline industry, to make it as easy as possible for those operating ferry services to bring in people. There is also potential with regard to pleasure craft, people's own marine activity and in the cruise industry.

Mr. Michael Cawley:

I agree.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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If Mr. Cawley explored these and applied his level of expertise from the airline industry it would be beneficial.

Mr. Michael Cawley:

Deputy Griffin's suggestion about the cruise business, particularly with regard to the Shannon and Erne waterways, is very valid. This could be extended to other parts of the country such as the Barrow, which is a glaring example of an underused facility, as are the two canals. It is an area about which I will be speaking to my colleagues in Fáilte Ireland to see whether it can fit into a plan which is marketable abroad and attractive. If people are looking for this, for example cruising canals and barges in the South of France are very popular, perhaps we can switch these customers to here. We must see whether customers would respond to it.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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No company offers a round-island cruise of the country. With all of the various port towns and cities we have there is potential for this.

Mr. Michael Cawley:

I agree, with a stop in Dingle.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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We would welcome them all.

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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I apologise because I was late for the meeting. I was up to what might be referred to as nefarious activities in Dublin West and got caught in traffic. I must speak to my party colleague, Deputy Dessie Ellis, about sorting out the Dublin traffic problems. I welcome Mr. Cawley and I thank him for his presentation which was very clear and easy to understand. I have no questions on his qualifications or experience because it is self-evident he has the skills set to do the job.

I wish to examine some of the issues about which Mr. Cawley spoke. He spoke about the regional and spatial spread. I represent Sligo and north Leitrim and after the next election the constituency will comprise Sligo, Leitrim, south Donegal and west Cavan. Donegal seems to get good coverage in terms of tourism but south Donegal gets somewhat less. The tourist numbers in Sligo are improving but Leitrim and west Cavan do not seem to be on the tourism maps. The Abbey Manor Hotel in Dromahair is most wonderful. It is right beside beautiful Lough Gill and Parke's Castle, which is one of the best examples of a castle in Ireland if not Europe. This lovely hotel is dilapidated and rotting away. There is a despondency in Leitrim at present. I cannot suggest what we can do about it but doing nothing is not an option. I have spoken to some people involved in tourism, and there is much scope for co-operatives of people who deal in the business of tourism products, particularly in weaker tourism areas. One person or one business will not be able to do anything alone but if we could get past the distrust competitors have for each other and work on a co-operative model it is probably the only way to go.

I was delighted to hear Mr. Cawley state he will encourage and support people who come with a vision and who bring fresh insight, innovation and new ideas.

It is necessary. We all know people like that. I know a couple of people in the tourism industry who are working on the Atlantic butterfly route as part of the Wild Atlantic Way. This is the sort of innovative thinking that is needed. Someone else has developed a website and received a commitment from approximately 120 tourism businesses. Through a more comprehensive product, it involves the stronger areas and feeds into the weaker ones.

Sometimes, the people involved in tourism with whom I speak voice a criticism. They believe that full-time tourism promotion staff seem to have more administrative skill sets than promotional ones. They ask a challenging question to which I do not have a satisfactory answer. Would it not be better to invest in those with a vested interest in the product they are promoting?

I do not know whether Mr. Cawley has got around to deciding on whether to undertake a special initiative to increase the number of tourists to Ireland to the magic figure of 10 million in 2016 for the 1916 commemoration. It may be too early to say, but does he wish to make changes to the organisational structure of Fáilte Ireland or to its relationship with other State agencies, local authorities and groups involved in tourism? I was delighted to hear that he would speak with the good folk of Ireland West Airport Knock. It is critical to tourism in the west and the north west, particularly since the closure of Sligo Airport.

Many of us who oppose the potential hydraulic fracturing in the north west believe that the region's main attraction is its unspoiled environment - our hills, valleys, lakes and rivers. If hydraulic fracturing were permitted in Fermanagh, Leitrim or south Donegal, we could kiss tourism goodbye. No one would visit a deserted industrial site, which is what we would have after 15 years.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Before I call on Mr. Cawley to answer, I ask Deputy Colreavy to take the Chair for a few moments. Deputies Timmins and Harris are next. I will be released for five minutes, after which I will return. I apologise.

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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Will Mr. Cawley go through those questions first?

Mr. Michael Cawley:

Of course. The Acting Chairman was right about the co-operative spirit that we must cultivate. I am a firm believer in the fact that no one has a monopoly on wisdom. I will seek ideas from the bottom up. As I told Deputies Griffin and O'Donovan, The Gathering gave us a tremendous template for success. Those at the top were surprised by how responsive people at the grassroots were. I want to harness that, as does Fáilte Ireland. This is for practical reasons, as we have neither the budget nor a monopoly on wisdom. We do not have all of the good ideas, although we have some, and we certainly have expertise.

The best ideas, particularly those that work locally, are those that come from local sources. They own those ideas and make them a success. I am a firm believer in that concept. We will not be able to respond positively to every idea, but we hope to give everyone a fair say. I will then rely on the expertise of people in Fáilte Ireland to make decisions. I should say that I have only met the chief executive twice, but I have been impressed by him. I have also been left impressed by my dealings with Fáilte Ireland, although I was mainly dealing with Tourism Ireland in my previous job. I am set to meet the rest of Fáilte Ireland's management later this week. Its members have skill sets and have proven themselves.

The committee members can rest assured that any gap in the market, particularly where we need to communicate with customers, will be addressed. There is an imperative to reduce staff numbers to certain levels under Government guidelines. Within that, however, I hope to protect the key skill sets, as the Acting Chairman called them, that we need and embellish them in due course with more people who are relevant to the market. I come from an organisation that went through this type of change recently. The world is competitive, but Ireland can do well if we have the ideas and the skills to communicate same. That is where Fáilte Ireland comes in, namely, the packaging of Ireland.

I have yet to examine the organisation. The Acting Chairman asked a detailed question on that matter, but I would rather reserve my position. Having seen Fáilte Ireland's performance, I rank it highly thus far. There is nothing that cannot be improved upon, of course, as there would be no sense in my job if that were the case, but the Acting Chairman can rest assured that whatever needs to be done to achieve the objectives I laid out will be done. I am keen to achieve the numbers that have been mentioned and to ensure the increase is spread regionally.

The people in Ireland West Airport Knock are among my best friends in the airport business, if I have any left. Mr. Joe Gilmore and Mr. Donal Healy run a tight ship and do a fantastic job on behalf of the west. I would not want the Acting Chairman to lose sight of the importance of Derry Airport to the northern part of his region. That airport also operates under tight constraints, including financial ones, but it succeeds in overcoming them most of the time and brings many people to that part of the world. Donegal is much more the airport's hinterland than anything to its east.

The issue of fracking is way outside my area of competence. The Acting Chairman is right in that people will not visit old industrial sites. There are some who take an interest in such places, but I suspect very few. We have to combine the economy's various competing interests. I am not one to say what should or should not be done in the area, but Ireland has a fine infrastructure. One would need to travel a long way to find something to better it. We will give the highest priority to marketing it in the most attractive way.

I will make a particular point, as I have personal experience in this regard. International access to the regions - I would not like to characterise it as bypassing Dublin, but that is effectively what it is - is very important. On foot of the Government's abolition of the aviation tax, I was happy to announce up to 400,000 more passengers between Shannon and Knock airports in the past 12 months over the previous 12 months. This work will not stop there, as I hope to promote it further. Let us hope that many of those passengers migrate to Leitrim, Cavan and so on. I am sure they will.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Independent)
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I wish Mr. Cawley the best of luck in his job. He certainly brings an enthusiasm and skill set to it that will be welcome. I followed his contribution on the monitor and am sorry that I was not present for all of it. In one sense, he is lucky to be working with a progressive and enlightened Minister who is open to change and innovation.

In the years I have been a Member, I have been worried by how people refer to the "potential" of Irish tourism as if we are always striving to achieve something that we have never quite realised. We probably never will realise its full potential, notwithstanding individuals' good work.

Like the witness I am loath to criticise organisations when I have not worked with them and I do not know for sure but from the distance from the tourism industry from which I am removed it strikes me that Fáilte Ireland will have a task in trying to bring people with it. Wheels move slowly and I am a great believer in having one supremo who is in charge of everything. Mr. Cawley may well go into the job and find so many elements impinging on the success or otherwise of his job, and they may be outside of his control. Many tourism bodies have set up some relationships with county councils, for example, or other developments. I do not mean to be patronising but although all these are well intentioned, they are often cases of everybody looking to do a job but nobody doing it. That is instead of having one organisation.

It can be quite difficult to shake off history, as Mr. Cawley knows, and his new job will be a big change from his previous work. He should not be afraid to ruffle feathers. Irish people in general - although I suppose it could be applicable to everyone - are creatures of habit and we have perceived ideas. When I think of holidaying in Ireland I think of Galway and Dunmore East, for example. I listened to Senator Mooney and Deputy Colreavy and by chance I ended up in the north Roscommon and south Leitrim area last summer as members of my family attended a music festival in Drumshanbo - the festival was named after Senator Mooney, I think - and I was "alarmed" by the facilities and what was on offer there. We have spoken about dormant industries and in this regard the Arigna mines are well worth a visit. I was informed of how parts of the English language evolved from mining. There is Lough Key forest park and Carrick-on-Shannon, which is hive of activity. If I go to England on holidays I do not head to Brighton or the "Galway" of England, as I am inclined to go to the Cotswolds or small villages.

It may be a job for Tourism Ireland rather than Fáilte Ireland to try to market the country. There are many different segments and perhaps we should have a position where the north east is X and the south east is Y, for example, in order to keep things simple instead of being all things to all people. My experience of a place boils down to standards, which may relate to a cup of tea, a hedge correctly cut and clean, correct signage. The witness mentioned pride of place. A tourist would not want to land at a beach in Rio de Janeiro or the Gold Cup at Cheltenham every weekend. People may want to go to a place where they can sit, have a bit of peace and a cup of coffee while learning about a locality.

I may be wrong but I believe the Irish regions are divided. Mr. Cawley is a native of Wicklow, which is designated as midlands-east and tied in with the likes of Longford. I remember doing a survey of tourism facilities in Wicklow, and the question was asked of how many people would be sent to Longford or Westmeath from near Greystones or Brittas Bay. Very few people would be sent that way, which is no reflection on Longford or Westmeath, which has its own beauty. Trying to market midlands-east could require a magician.

Mr. Cawley will not be short of advice, which may be right or wrong, and many people have ideas. He will sift through them and may decide to implement some. I have arrived in some places but ended up in the same spot two hours later. I do not know how many times we have come out of Dublin Airport and ended up God knows where. I spoke to the National Roads Authority, NRA, today again about signage on certain parts of the motorway in my own area. A tourist may come from the airport and at the first or second roundabout see the sign for Westport, which is a lovely town with many attributes, but not many people want to see the sign for Westport straight away. There may not be another sign for it for 60 or 70 miles. There is a role to be played with the NRA and Dublin Airport Authority and, for example, there may be directions for regions as people leave the airport. Perhaps we could have maps at the airport as people collect their luggage and if a group is going to Galway, for example, they would know it is in the west. I have gone astray as recently as a couple of weeks ago coming from the airport.

The Gathering was a great concept but I often thought we missed some points to a degree. My concept of The Gathering was to bring home people or relatives of people who may have left Ireland through the centuries. There is a project in Loughrea called Bring Them Home, although I do not know how successful it has been. One of my interests outside politics and sport is genealogy and local history and on the Internet one could track a Michael Cawley who may have left Ballindine or Ballyhaunis in 1830 and who may have a great-great-grandchild in Denver, Colorado. Those relatives may not be sure from where they came but perhaps people like that could receive an e-mail to invite them to Ireland for the summer. There would be merit in trying to set up a system like that which proactively attracts people to Ireland.

There is great interest in genealogy and a sense of belonging for people. There are more than 40 million people of Irish heritage in the United States. We must identify how to sell Ireland in Europe, although it is a Tourism Ireland issue. We are the most westerly tip of Europe, right at the edge of the Atlantic. There are many people in central Europe - in places like south Germany - who may not have seen the Atlantic, and there is much potential in selling Ireland as the western tip off the Atlantic.

I am aware of a group which made a submission about setting up an American Civil War trail that would take in Irish-American generals to tie in with the bicentenary of the war. My understanding is the trail in the United States is worth approximately €2 billion and we could replicate it from an Irish perspective. This involves fantastic ideas and knowledge but it has never become a reality here. I might get the group to send on the information, although Mr. Cawley will not take up every project he gets. Perhaps the project is lying on a shelf. We all have great ideas but we may find it hard to iron a trousers or shirt in the morning and everything after that is a plus.

Mr. Cawley alluded to the River Barrow and I do not know if he is familiar with St. Mullin's, which is close to Altamount Gardens. One could be at the Amazon basin, it is so amazing. Over the years I have raised the issue of vested interests, although that may not be the correct term. State agencies, in particular, may have a monopoly on ownership in an area. I saw a video clip from the 1940s or 1950s of Glendalough and it showed how boats would go from Glendalough to St. Kevin's Bed; if a helicopter is heard collecting people from the cliff in Glendalough now, they are trying to access St. Kevin's Bed, which cannot be accessed through the lake. Some may think it heresy but perhaps we could have an environmentally-friendly boat on the lake in Glendalough. Some people may say it would ruin the environment but most lakes around the globe have such amenities. It would be a huge attraction.

After all my pontificating I only have one question. Mr. Cawley has travelled much in his previous employment so what is the one element from abroad that he thinks we should have in Ireland? Perhaps that is unfair but has he ever thought that when he becomes chair of Fáilte Ireland, he would ensure signs are clean, for example?

Mr. Michael Cawley:

To correct the Deputy, I am a native of Cork, although I live in Wicklow and I am very happy to do so. I will never be a native or anywhere other than Cork.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Independent)
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I do not know if that is what I meant when I called the witness a Wicklow native.

Mr. Michael Cawley:

That is not to take issue with the Deputy.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Independent)
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We will have to introduce a surcharge on non-natives.

Mr. Michael Cawley:

The points are valid, and I will endorse of a few of them. The diaspora is a very valuable resource that we should tap, and if the number is 30 million or 40 million people it has enormous potential.

In this regard the committee will be happy to know that The Gathering has maintained some momentum in a number of communities. They are tracking people and bringing them back. Fáilte Ireland is actively involved in a much smaller and almost informal way. There is no part 2 of The Gathering this year but there is so much momentum in certain communities that it is happening regionally, not nationally. We will be revisiting that issue.

The member who referred to the Atlantic issue is right. Apart from the Bay of Biscay in France, we have a monopoly on that view and that is why the Wild Atlantic Way is so popular. I was speaking to people in Tourism Ireland today. The feedback they are getting from Germans, for example, who are essentially landlocked other than the North Sea, has been phenomenal. That name will have great resonance, I hope, with people when they arrive. People will spread out into the various areas and the local communities will take advantage of that.

A key question was asked in respect of access to the country. Coming from where I come from, I am a great believer in filling up the funnel as much as possible. I am not saying this for Ryanair but for any airline. This is an island country and access is critical. There are examples of other countries that have similar isolation. Malta, Cyprus and the Canary Islands spring to mind. Each of those has had crises in tourism and they are far more dependent on it, percentage-wise. They have nothing like the foreign direct investment we have. Tourism is 35% of GNP in the Canary Islands and it is similar for Malta. Cyprus is even more dependent on tourism. Each of them has taken the route of improving access over the last years and revived their economies. Malta is the great example of that. It has sustained unbroken tourism growth for the last six or seven years. For historical reasons Britain is its biggest market and when there was a crisis in that market, Malta improved air access.

One can improve anything; one can always improve things. We will be critical of things in a constructive way, for example, there is much to be done about signage. There is much to be done on many things, but I am a firm believer in getting people in. Then they can find their own level. One will find out through surveys and research what people want. Ultimately, when they come here, the experience is that people will come back to Ireland. Apparently, only 14% of people in Britain have been to Ireland, but they all come back here. That is a lesson for us. If we get them here, we have enough. Not everybody is happy. One gets the letters that say they have been disappointed with the experience and so forth, but the general experience of people here, provided they are not coming for the weather, is that they come back. That is not unique. People go back to Spain and other places frequently, but not every country has that attribute. We have it. Our historical research from Ryanair is that many people travel frequently with us in and out of this country. The way to tap into that is to enlarge that number. I have every confidence that when we get people here, we will cope and that we will get a large number of them back again. That is the test.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I congratulate Mr. Cawley on his nomination. Like Deputy Timmins, I have the honour of knowing him from my home town of Greystones, which is now his home town. I know one might need to ruffle feathers on occasion and anybody who knows Mr. Cawley knows that he is well able to ruffle feathers when he feels passionate about important issues. I believe he will be a very good fit for this job. It is a proud day for our county as well, to have one of our well-known residents in this position. I wish him and his family the best of luck.

Mr. Cawley brings significant business acumen to the job. In addition, he has an ability to work with people and to bring people together. I am pleased to hear his comments on the success of The Gathering. There was so much local information collected and collated that we must keep that network going. There were so many volunteers, people who had probably never been involved in promoting this country previously. They voluntarily sat at meetings and brainstorming sessions and came up with ideas, many of which we never even reached, during The Gathering. That is a huge pool and network that we must maintain.

I am particularly pleased that the chairman-designate of Fáilte Ireland is living in Wicklow. If I can be parochial, Wicklow has been neglected for years with regard to tourism. Until very recently, when Fáilte Ireland had a policy shift, it was viewed as on Dublin's doorstep. It was the official definition of Wicklow. When one asked Fáilte Ireland about Wicklow's position, it was in the product called "Dublin's doorstep". As Mr. Cawley, anybody living in County Wicklow and people involved in tourism know, there is much more to Wicklow than being just an extension of Dublin. I very much welcome the designation of a new product, which is Wicklow-Kildare. It is working well and there is a huge amount more to be done in that area.

Mr. Cawley spoke about co-operating with other State agencies. I recently attended a briefing by Coillte. Common sense prevailed regarding a decision not to proceed with the sale of the harvesting rights, but we must now examine Coillte and what it can bring to the table in respect of tourism. There are some well known Wicklow residents involved in Coillte as well, but there appears to be a sense that Coillte and its potential in terms of a tourism asset is not being utilised. I strongly share that view.

My final point is one that all public representatives, including Deputy Timmins, make quite regularly. It is about the issue of signage. It is quite perverse to have a State agency in this country telling our villages and towns that they cannot direct tourists to their destinations. I understand we cannot have main roads littered with signs and we cannot promote every pub and tourism product at every crossroad, but the arrogance of the National Roads Authority, NRA, in dealing with this issue has been quite astonishing. We need to bang heads together. It is frustrating for communities that come together, in both my county and other counties, and really work on promoting their destination, only to be told by tourists that they could not find it or drove past it.

Mr. Cawley is a perfect fit for the job and I wish him the best.

Mr. Michael Cawley:

I was not aware of the last issue the Deputy raised. I will certainly get cracking on it, because it goes entirely against the philosophy I would have. People in their local area should be able to advertise what they have available on the main routes. Otherwise they will just be bypassed and that defeats the purpose of the work they do.

I thank the Deputy for his good wishes.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Thank you, Mr. Cawley, for your engagement with the committee. I note you have been claimed by five or six counties in the course of the meeting. It is a wish that many politicians lack. You bring enormous expertise and energy to this job. You say you wish to engage with the local communities. A presentation was made to the committee when we were discussing the document on tourism for the Minister. I cannot remember the name of the person who made the presentation but he spoke about volunteerism. That was what The Gathering was about, from the grassroots up. You mention that you must undertake a great deal of engagement with people to get a full knowledge of Ireland, but it appears from your presentation that you have a fair grasp of it already.

On behalf of the committee, I wish you well in your new task. With your track record I have no doubt that you will be exciting and will deliver in the job you are about to undertake.

Mr. Michael Cawley:

Thank you, Chairman.