Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

This debate is somewhat like going back to the future, rediscovering economic capacities that were fundamental to our development. Now with the economic mess Fianna Fáil has delivered, these will become fundamental to our recovery. Like in the 1980s, and other times, when Ireland faced serious economic challenges, we must go back to tried and trusted economic activities in which our competitive advantage is somewhat significant.

Ireland has three great strengths in tourism, unparalleled elsewhere. It has a cultural and sporting heritage. Its landscapes and countryside are naturally beautiful and extremely attractive. Members of many expatriate communities living in Ireland have reasons to get their relatives to visit them, while abroad a large number of people across the world with Irish associations want to visit Ireland.

These key strengths leave us well positioned to use tourism as a key driver of economic recovery and job creation. The Government, however, needs to get beyond the warm fluffy rhetoric and down to brass tacks. It needs to take positive steps to remove the different obstacles holding back the tourism sector.

Our key strengths also provide the opportunity to expand our tourism sector into newer and expanding high-value added areas such as eco-tourism. While we have done well in providing sporting-tourism facilities such as golf courses, we have not yet tapped into the potential for younger tourists in areas such as walking and cycling.

A negative image is associated with Ireland when it comes to walking and some other outdoor activities because of difficulties with access rights in remote parts of the country. On the Continent, a strip no more than three to six feet wide is left in every field to allow access across it without presenting difficulties to local farmers and landowners. I accept there have been negotiations about access rights in Ireland. However, the image internationally is negative. On top of this, it is too dangerous to walk and cycle on Irish main roads. We have natural advantages to allow people to enjoy walking, cycling and other outdoor activities. We need to ensure access and supports for them.

The air travel tax needs to be removed. Ireland is an island nation with most of its visitors arriving by plane. Imposing a tourist tax on every visitor when they fly in and out, does nothing to improve our value for money reputation. Given that most people book their airline flights on-line, the tax is very much in one's face when one sees the final cost of booking a flight to Ireland.

Most western economies, from where the majority of our visitors come, are weak with incomes under pressure. More than ever we need to take every available opportunity to restore our reputation as a value destination.

In the 1980s, Ireland had a reputation as a top destination for good value holiday experiences, along with its attractive natural attributes. Ireland also had many fine hotels and guest houses offering a wonderful and authentic Irish experience to visitors. At the height of the economic boom, however, this was lost sight of. Much of this had to do with the training of hotel catering staff. If they are not from the area they are serving, they must be trained in highlighting its tourism potential.

In a globalised world, visitors expect to be able to arrange their visit on-line from the comfort of their homes. They want to check the site, view the rooms and the surrounds and to see what the property looks like. They want to see images of the local restaurant where they might go to have an evening meal.

When they come to Ireland, they will be unable to stay in contact with their people back home, their clients and colleagues. Global communications technology and next generation broadband are at the centre of developments but Ireland is not yet at the races in this regard. Despite a succession of Government reports and promises, we remain near the bottom of the class when it comes to broadband. This undermines Ireland's attractiveness as a destination not only for tourists, but for much-needed investment and this is an area the Minister must examine. The Labour Party has put forward several proposals for small businesses, which are the backbone of the tourism industry. For example, we made proposals for a PRSI holiday for employers which take on new people and we have also put forward proposals to incentivise employment. I note that, belatedly, this weekend, the Taoiseach picked up some of the Labour Party's policy decisions. I welcome this development, even if it is not as comprehensive as we would have wished.

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