Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

On a serious note, that kind of competition between areas is great. We need more of it in order to bring out the best and the unique, wonderful diversity that Ireland has to offer. That is our strongest selling point.

I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate. We often say that a debate is important, but this one is important because tourism has stood the test of time and shown itself to be sustainable, and it is a growing industry that is reaping great rewards. It is a clean industry and one with tangible results that spread far and wide. It is not restricted by place or by people but can move and fluctuate around any part of the country. I am delighted the Government has regarded tourism as important from day one. There is great evidence of that in many of the measures we have taken to date, particularly the jobs initiative. The specific, targeted initiatives directed at the tourism sector leave no one in any doubt about how much value the Government places on tourism. I recognised how seriously the Government takes tourism and that it has placed it firmly at the top of its priorities when I learned of the appointment of the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ring. We do not have a harder working Minister or one with more energy - I say that in all seriousness - so I was thrilled to see Deputy Ring go into the Department. I know the appointment is a measure of how seriously tourism is taken by the Taoiseach and the rest of the Administration. I wish the Minister every success and hope his energy will be put to wonderful use in the years ahead.

West Cork is a well-known and renowned tourist destination. I suppose its beauty is in the place, the sights that it holds and the food, which has a strong reputation. Without doubt, its people also represent a big attraction That has been shown in a number of surveys by Fáilte Ireland. When it asked visitors why they came to various parts of Ireland, the people came out at the top of the list of responses. The friendliness and unique character of the people is our biggest attraction. We must not lose sight of that. The district of Clonakilty, which I represent, was recognised as the first European destination of excellence back in 2007. We are very proud that it was the first destination in Ireland to be recognised by Europe. A number of other destinations have been recognised since then. I am not sure whether the Minister is aware of it but we just pipped Westport to take that coveted title. I hope he will not hold that against us and that it will not limit our opportunities in future. I am confident that Westport will have its day.

Notwithstanding the successes, we also have a number of challenges. One of the biggest challenges we have identified in growing the tourism industry in West Cork to an even bigger level is the lack of infrastructure for rainy days. As someone once said, this would be a beautiful country if we could only roof it, and that challenge continues in many areas. In West Cork it is a constant challenge to provide indoor activities and entertainment, which are particularly important for the family-friendly holidays we need at a time when we are trying to attract more families. We hope the budgetary process will allow for and facilitate an increase in the allocation of funding to the tourism authority, and we hope such an increase will come into play sooner rather than later. I urge the Government to continue its efforts to grow the infrastructure that will support indoor attractions and amenities.

Price competitiveness is another area in which we have to work collectively, and we have taken steps towards that under the jobs initiative. The industry is working hard and the hotel sector has been to the fore in cutting prices, but there are other areas where prices and competitiveness are still a challenge, such as little restaurants and cafes. We also have the continual challenge of connectivity through our airports and getting people into the area.

I wish the Government every success and look forward to generous allocations to the tourism sector for the years ahead.

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