Michael Conaghan (Dublin South Central, Labour)

I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ring, on his elevation to his current post. I have always thought of him as one of the most distinctive and compelling voices of the Dáil. The core purpose of the legislation being debated today is to allow the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to increase the level of funding that can be made available to Fáilte Ireland, the national tourism development authority, for the purpose of supporting enterprises and projects relating to the development of tourism facilities in the country. I welcome this legislation and I commend the Minister and the Government on the steps they have taken already in promoting the tourism industry.

Speakers have referred to how tourism is vital to the economy and how it has been identified by the Government as a key industry in leading our national recovery. Tourism is one of the strongest indigenous industries. The jobs created and supported by tourism cannot be transferred out of Ireland. It is not multinational in its character, nor is it geographically specific. Urban and more remote areas alike can benefit from tourism. Often it is the more remote areas, those bypassed by industrial and commercial development and therefore remaining unspoiled, that have the greatest natural charm, draw and beauty to offer to our visitors.

The value of tourism to our economy can be easily demonstrated. Tourism attracts both foreign and domestic revenue. It is an important employer with 180,000 people employed in the sector. Many of these jobs are in geographically remote areas, for example, along the western seaboard, and are vital to the local economies. Tourism is also a very important source of tax revenue. In 2007, tourism contributed almost €3 billion to the Exchequer, but unfortunately this dropped to €1.3 billion in 2009. Ireland experienced unprecedented tourism growth in the 1990s but since 2008 the industry has been in decline, with visitor numbers, total tourism revenue, Government revenue and employment numbers all falling. The total number of overseas visitors peaked at 7.7 million in 2007 but declined year-on-year to reach 5.8 million in 2010. Visitor numbers from each of the three largest markets - Britain, mainland Europe and North America - have also declined year-on-year since 2007. As I mentioned, the tax take from tourism has dropped by nearly two thirds over the same period.

On the reasons for our decline, the period of economic growth which saw our economy grow and allowed us to invest significantly in our tourism infrastructure had the knock-on effect of raising prices and damaging Ireland's competitiveness. For example, a survey conducted by Fáilte Ireland showed that while in 2000 some 68% of visitors felt that Ireland offered "very good" or '"good" value for money, this figure had fallen to just 28% in 2009. In addition to the competitiveness issue, the Tourism Action Plan Implementation Group identified in 2006 a concern that Ireland's tourism product had become somewhat "tired" and lacking in "bounce" and "verve" for many tourists. Some of the existing facilities do not seem to provide a compelling reason for visitors to come to Ireland. This weakness is borne out by the fact that, in 2009, 40% of visitors to Ireland thought the overall experience was either "poor" or "very poor".

The value and significance of tourism to Irish jobs and the economy is huge, and the recent decline is therefore of major concern. The Government has identified the tourism industry as one which can lead in Ireland's economic renewal, and I welcome the work that has been done to date. The programme for Government makes a clear commitment to improving Ireland's tourism product and outlines measures which can boost visitor numbers from key markets. Recovery of our share of the British market has been identified as a key priority and marketing strategies are being developed for emerging long-haul markets.

The jobs initiative unveiled in May of this year further shows the Government's commitment to boosting tourism. The cut in the VAT rate on services relating to tourism from 13.5% to 9% will help with competitiveness in the industry and create jobs. I commend the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, on his willingness to drop the €3 travel tax, coupled with his refusal to be held to ransom by the airlines. The removal of this tax will benefit the travel industry and has the potential to increase tourist traffic into Ireland, but this must be met and matched by the airlines, which must play their part in opening and re-opening routes which will bring tourists to our shores.

There is a continuing and strong rationale for making more funds available, as per this Bill, for further investment in our tourism industry. The World Tourism Organisation is forecasting that, globally, tourism will increase and has great potential for future growth. For example, travel to Northern Europe is forecast to grow by an average of 3.8% per annum. Tourism is a competitive industry and we must not rest on our laurels. Competitor destinations, particularly in northern Europe, are investing substantial sums of public money in tourism. For example, the Highland and Islands Enterprise agency in Scotland spends up to €22 million annually on tourism, in addition to €52 million spent yearly to support the Visit Scotland agency.

There is no doubting the rationale behind continuing to invest in tourism, and for that reason this Bill is very welcome. However, it is essential that we invest wisely to maximise the benefit to our economy, and we must take on board the recommendations of Fáilte Ireland and other expert bodies. For too long, tourism policy has been accommodation-led and based on an attitude of "build the hotels and the tourists will come". Indeed, the culture of cosy relationships between policy makers and property developers led to lax regulation and a subsequent saturation of the market. The drop in tourist numbers means that many hotels now stand empty for months each year and many are struggling to keep their doors open. There has been a growing realisation that, in a competitive market, hotels alone cannot attract tourists to Ireland.

It is worth noting that many of our competitors are investing in signature capital projects, iconic attractions which can offer a compelling reason for visitors to choose the destination. For example, in Northern Ireland huge investment is currently being made in two major symbolic attractions - the Giant's Causeway visitor centre and the Titanic quarter development. In 2007, the tourism product development strategy published by Fáilte Ireland recognised that Irish tourism was at a critical point. After an audit of all tourist attractions, events and activities, the strategy concluded that less support should be provided for accommodation and more investment should be made in tourism products and events that will attract visitors and provide a stimulating and rewarding experience for customers. More recent strategy documents have stated that the stock of attractions needs to be maintained and enhanced, and that progress is necessary in developing a select number of new attractions, as well as upgrading some major attractions.

In my constituency, I have seen the value and success of amenity and attraction-led tourism. Through the development of three major tourist attractions, the Kilmainham-Inchicore area has become a major focus for tourism in Dublin. Last year, as many as 100,000 people visited the Kilmainham-Inchicore area, mainly to see these three big attractions - Kilmainham Gaol, the Royal Hospital and the Irish National War Memorial Park.

Some 40 years ago, visitors to the Kilmainham-Inchicore area were rare. Kilmainham Gaol was almost in ruins 60 years ago. Local people took the lead. They brought out their ladders and tools and commenced a campaign for restoration and recognition. They were joined by community leaders and the actions and passion of the community forced the OPW and the Government of the day into saving this local icon. It is impossible now to imagine Dublin's historic landscape without it. The same story was played out with the Royal Hospital and the memorial park. We remember when cows grazed in the ruins of the Royal Hospital and youths and young men rallied cars across the lawns of the memorial park. However, agitation from local people convinced of the authentic nature of these attractions fought to have them conserved, and they have proved a great success.

In addition to existing major attractions in the Kilmainham-Inchicore area, there are a number of other features in the district which have huge potential to drive tourism in the area, if properly developed. The Kilmainham-Inchicore area has the potential to be a real cultural tourism quarter in this city, something now recognised by Dublin City Council in its most recent development plan. Alongside the gaol, the Royal Hospital and the memorial park, I would like to refer to three additional sites in the Kilmainham-Inchicore district that have massive cultural tourism potential.

One of these, the old St. Michael's CBS, now vacant, was once part of Richmond Barracks in Inchicore and was the scene of some of the pivotal events of the 1916 Rising. It was here that the penultimate act of the rebellion played out, where the leaders of the Rising were brought, held, screened, court martialled, sentenced to death and then marched down Emmet Road to Kilmainham Gaol. It was here that Pearse and the other leaders met their fate. I would like to see this important historical site reinvigorated and restored in time for the centenary of the 1916 Rising. Indeed, the local heritage group has submitted a plan to Government for the reinvigoration of this old barracks building and has received quite a positive reply.

I now turn to the two other projects in the Kilmainham-Inchicore area, which relate to our industrial heritage. One of the greatest advantages Ireland has in attracting tourists is the rich heritage we have on this island. Ireland is rightly renowned for its cultural heritage, music, literary tradition and the arts in general. One aspect of our heritage is consistently overlooked, however, namely, the field of human endeavour that is our industrial heritage. Although we have the raw material in the form of the historic legacy, unlike in many other countries this key part of our material culture is neglected in Ireland. Action must be taken to recognise and celebrate great moments of inventiveness and genius in Ireland's industrial activity. For example, the harnessing of the force of flowing water to drive the production process was best mastered in the Kilmainham-Inchicore area in the valley of the Camac. As for the harnessing of steam to drive the great locomotives, the city's key legacy from the industrial revolution is the Inchicore railway works. In particular, the mill in Kilmainham is one of Ireland's most important industrial sites and is the last and best preserved example of the innovation of this period. It has been identified by the leading industrial archaeologist in Ireland as potentially the third leg of a significant cultural tourism cluster together with the Royal Hospital Kilmainham and Kilmainham Gaol.

Other countries do not abandon the celebration of their industrial past so easily. For example, I have visited an old industrial works in Brisbane, Australia, where visitors young and old learned and marvelled at their industrial tradition. Incidentally, when some of the old men there asked me where I was from, I replied I was Irish. They then speculated that I probably knew of the Inchicore railway works because they knew where the great railway works of Europe had been. These men had worked in the railway works and had been brought back there by the local tourism body to demonstrate to children, adults and visitors how pieces of ore resembling stone could be transformed into metal. Children queued and watched in awe as these men demonstrated their craft. At the same location, people could take simulated trips in old steam trains. They could inspect the great craft that went into the making of such giant features of the industrial revolution. I also have visited the old industrial city of Porto in northern Portugal, which recognises fully its industrial past. The built fabric of this old industrial town, which is home of the port industry and many amazing examples of transport history, is now protected as a UNESCO world heritage site. Porto, which was not a typical tourist destination, now draws thousands of visitors to see the authentic legacy the city bequeathed to the world and which is protected by UNESCO.

In Ireland, however, our monuments to the industrial revolution like the Inchicore railway works lie neglected. A previous speaker mentioned the old Locke's distillery, which constitutes a good example of the conservation and retention of our industrial heritage. The discerning cultural tourist has an interest in all fields of human endeavour. Industrial attractions such as the sites to which I referred have an authentic tourism value, as evidenced by the experience of the aforementioned two overseas locations. This glaring deficit must be recognised and Ireland's great industrial heritage must be invoked, safeguarded and celebrated. Moreover, select pieces therefrom must be retained in tangible forms because, by so doing, the great work and craft of ordinary people will be celebrated, as will that of those inventors and engineers who were part of this great endeavour. I intend to write to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and ask them to consider the idea of commemorating our industrial heritage through developing an industrial heritage facility in the Inchicore-Kilmainham district. I firmly believe this would be a great attraction which would add unique value to the Irish tourism product.

Dublin City Council's development plan for 2011 to 2017 envisages the creation of an urban cultural tourism quarter in the Kilmainham-Inchicore area. The combination of the aforementioned attractions, including both those currently in operation and those in desperate need of restoration before they are lost, will result in this area having the city of Dublin's largest and most diverse cluster of archaeological, architectural, political, cultural, ecclesiastical and social heritage sites. This has been recognised in the city development plan and is one of the plan's objectives. Furthermore, the development of this district as a hub of cultural tourism fulfils all the criteria for the sensible development of our tourism industry. It is in exact alignment with the reports' findings on authentic products that have a universal appeal and real, as opposed to concocted, character. Fáilte Ireland has clearly outlined the need to focus our tourism efforts on attractions that will increase tourist traffic and stimulate the industry. This can be done by opening up this previously untapped aspect of our material heritage. This Bill will allow for significant future investment in tourism which, if deployed prudently, can help the industry play its part in Ireland's economic renewal. I commend it to the House.

I will take another minute, if I may. I have rarely spoken in the Chamber, although I often speak in committees and elsewhere. I wish to thank those who have supported me in local elections for the past 25 years in Ballyfermot, Inchicore, Kilmainham and Chapelizod, as well as the people of Dublin South-Central, who sent me to the Dáil this time. I also invoke the name of the late Jim Kemmy, the Limerick socialist who was a close friend and who was the main influence on my entry into electoral politics.

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