John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Wall has hit the nail on the head. Access is crucially important as regards bringing people to the regions. A number of developments late in 2004 will help considerably in that respect. Ryanair announced that it would utilise Shannon as a European hub. That is of enormous importance because it means people from Europe will be brought directly into the mid-west and the west in increasing numbers. American Airlines, the largest airline in the world, whose representatives I met last October in Dallas, announced it is to operate daily flights from Chicago and Boston into Dublin and Shannon. This is enormously significant for the Shannon region in particular. It means the single largest airline in the world will be flying directly from the United States into the mid-west, which everyone will welcome. Increasing interest in Ireland by American airlines is also evidenced in the fact that Continental Airlines has decided to fly directly across the Atlantic into Belfast, a first for an American airline.

In general terms there is an increasing amount of interest by national and international airlines in the Irish regions and the constant development of our regional airports is of crucial importance in that respect. This is why I welcome the Minister of Transport's initiatives towards ensuring the regional airports are sufficiently marketed. I am acutely conscious that air access is just one element of travel. There is also the question of ferry access. Increasingly, we see greater numbers of visitors who come by ferry from Britain and France and travel to the regions in particular. I hope that in the course of 2005 we continue to improve access into the regions and in the final analysis that is the key.

A major marketing campaign is currently underway in Britain. Last year saw the greatest number of visitors in its history coming to the island of Ireland. There was a fall-off of about 1% in British visitors, nonetheless. A fall-off of 1% in British visitors is equivalent to a drop of 47,500 approximately. That is why the British market is of such vital importance. A stronger marketing campaign in Britain should bring in more visitors from there who traditionally travel to the Irish regions. There was a substantial increase in American visitors last year and I believe that will be replicated in 2005, judging by what I encountered on my visit to the United States when I addressed various meetings on the attractions of Ireland for American tourists.

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