Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

I am pleased that a key recognition in the renewed programme for Government is the further potential of the arts, sport and tourism sectors to create employment and economic growth, which is now, more than ever, a critical requirement of the economy. The programme places an added emphasis on the sectoral areas under the Minister's ambit, in particular in the radically changed and challenging fiscal and economic circumstances in which we now find ourselves.

In the arts sector, the renewed programme makes commitments to host major international events, ensure supports provided by the Irish Film Board are maintained, produce a ten-year development strategy for the audio-visual sector and assess the suitability of the GPO complex as a site for the Abbey Theatre as well as promoting the development of an important new Irish arts and business centre in New York.

In the sports sector, the programme makes commitments to complete a new sports facilities strategy, build on the Irish Sports Council's programmes to remove barriers to participation in sport and to continue to deliver on the successes achieved by the high-performance system. In the tourism sector, it makes commitments to develop the potential for food tourism, walking and cycling tourism as well as developing a rural and marine recreational industry. In the period up to 2012, the suite of Discover Ireland websites will be positioned as exemplars of an information, content and reservation tourism system and we will develop tourism business from new emerging growth markets in the Middle and Far East. In addition, in view also of the capacity of the arts, sport and tourism sectors to drive economic and employment prospects, the programme makes commitments to expand community arts schemes and associated physical spaces for artists and community groups, capitalise on the proximity of the London 2012 Olympic Games, and position Dublin as an important centre for conference tourism business and Ireland generally as an important international destination for cultural tourism.

All commitments in the renewed programme for Government will be progressed as speedily as possible. The commitments in the area of this Department are challenging yet realistic, and the Minister is determined to ensure their full implementation to contribute to the achievement of the overall political goals envisaged in the programme.

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