Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

I remind the Minister that according to Irish Tourist Industry Confederation figures, the average spend per tourist declined by 8% between 2000 and 2005. This has major implications for the hotel industry and rural tourism. In addition, as the Minister accepted, the number of US holidaymakers visiting Ireland has declined. Typically, US tourists are higher spending and they tend to visit the western seaboard. Between 2000 and 2004, the western region experienced an extraordinary decline of 3.3 million in the number of bed nights.

Surely the Minister is concerned about the level of car touring. Visitors who tour the country in cars visit villages and stay in rural hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation. The Minister did not refer to the pressure facing guesthouses and providers of bed and breakfast accommodation. To take just one activity holiday, is he aware that the number of golfing holidays to Ireland declined from 306,000 in 2000 to only 138,000 in 2004? Not all is well in the tourism sector. While many more tourists are visiting Dublin, this does not necessarily mean that the rest of the country is benefiting or that the tourists in question spend more.

Will the Minister comment on the competitiveness of the tourism sector? Does he agree that the increase in the cost of energy, particularly gas and electricity, waste disposal and refuse and water charges is affecting its competitiveness? A large number of operators are seriously considering their future. I ask the Minister to comment on the issues I raise, including the competitiveness of tourism here, which has been primarily affected by the imposition of Government stealth taxes.

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