Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)

Does the Minister of State acknowledge that irrespective of whether one calculates the figures using the consumer price index or, as I did, by making a rough estimate of the inflation rate in a given year, the result will show that tourism expenditure has not increased over the rate of inflation? Does he agree that this raises serious questions, particularly given the threat posed by the Baltic and Scandinavian states which are successfully developing eco-tourism? Given that the number of walking holidays has decreased every year since the start of the millennium, Comhairle na Tuaithe is having no success in——

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