Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)

I could not disagree more with the Minister on the matter of designation of the Ryder Cup for free-to-air transmission on television. It was an unbelievable error not to include the event and not to ensure that it would be seen on national television channels because those in Ireland involved in general tourism during the event will not have that facility if they are situated in an area without access to Sky television. Indeed, I am told that only 14% of people access Sky television. I could never understand the logic of what the Minister did in this regard and I still believe it is a matter which he should consider. Certainly, not including this event was a major error because in our lifetime we may not see it here again. It has become such a world event that it may not be possible to hold the Ryder Cup again in Ireland in the future. The Minister certainly threw away a major chance of ensuring that it could be viewed by the maximum number of tourists who will be in Ireland at the time of the Ryder Cup but not here for that event, and of developing links with golf here in that regard.

On the question on the long-term damage to the tourism industry, the chief executive of Tourism Ireland, Mr. Paul O'Toole, was quoted in an article in The Irish Times as stating that it is a marvellous opportunity to showcase Ireland but it is crucial that we do not fleece the customers while they are here and that hotels in Dublin and Kildare will not charge rack rates or top prices approximately 25% to 28% above the average. Surely that sets the trend for everything else attached to the Ryder Cup. I am flabbergasted. If the person most involved in generating tourism from the event states it is all right if the prices rise by only 25% to 28%, how can the Minister honestly state that he will try to control prices during the Ryder Cup? It is unbelievable to think that would be said in the context of a rip-off.

One must bear in mind that there will be tourists in Ireland at the time of the Ryder Cup not solely attached to the event. Will we see an aspect of differing treatment in hotels, where regular tourists will be charged ordinary prices and a Ryder Cup tourist will be charged 25% to 28% more? If the Minister is to try to set a trend right across all aspects of the services involved in providing for the Ryder Cup, surely the statement to which I refer should be retracted as a matter of urgency. It is unbelievable that a 25% to 28% rise is acceptable. If Tourism Ireland agrees that immediately we should accept a 25% to 28% increase, there are no grounds for the Minister to argue the point. How can the Minister get that statement retracted and how can the Minister's argument be channelled down to all the various aspects of the services involved in this?

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