Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I am glad to make a short contribution to this debate. I come from the west of Ireland, where tourism is very important and where as many people are employed in tourism as in other industries. I come from a town that has 11 hotels and certainly, over the years, we have promoted our product. We have a great product and places such as Westport should be used as an example of how one brings tourists into an area. At a time when the town had two or three hotels, planning permission was required from the council to build additional hotels and people stated they would not survive. However, what happened was that it made them more competitive and caused them to increase their efforts to sell their product. As someone who lives in the town of Westport, I have noted the number of people who have visited it in recent weekends. Those who do so come for two or three reasons, namely, to get value for money, to visit most beautiful part of the country and because all the hotels are providing greater value for money. While they may not be making much money, at least they are trying to sell a product and to bring people into the area.

This evening, I wish to raise a few issues that the Minister should consider. First, she must talk to local authorities. They are not helping or promoting business in Ireland. At all times, they think businesses are soft touches, regardless of whether they are big or small. However, the day has gone when small businesses, such as hotels or those involved in the food industry or in tourism itself, can be a soft touch whereby local authorities in need of funding can simply levy that charge on them. Local authorities must learn to live in the real world. Businesses are struggling at present and are under pressure.

However, our tourism product is great. I believe I have only left this country once in 30 years. Personally, I go to County Kerry, which I love, as I do west Cork. I would holiday in my own locality but given the job I am in, I simply cannot do so. Nevertheless, Ireland has a great product. Although we may not have the weather, we have the facilities. One can golf, swim or walk. The Minister's colleague, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Dempsey, visited Westport recently and provided some departmental funding for walks under the smarter travel initiative. The Minister should see the walks that have been established around the town of Westport, as well as the number of people who visit from outside the county or the locality to sample these walks. The things that people want are all simple. The number of people who are cycling and are using such facilities is wonderful.

My point to the Minister this evening is that she must consider ways to try to help and support people in the hotel industry in particular with an emphasis on rates. Ways and means of reducing rates for such hotels must be considered. The expectations on such establishments are highly unfair in some cases, as some of them open for six months per year while others open throughout the year. They are crippled by water charges, rates and stealth taxes. Such businesses should be helped because they will be needed to get people back into the workplace, to promote our counties and country and to induce people to visit them. The Minister must speak to the Minister for Finance, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the local authorities to discontinue all the stealth taxes levied on small businesses. Tourism will be the product that will get more people into the workplace. It will play its part in getting us out of the current recession. We have the product, the country and the people and all that is needed is some support from the Government to help and promote businesses.

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