Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour)

Like previous speakers, I pay tribute to the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, who, as Deputy Joe Carey said, has been in Clare numerous times. I thank him for his commitment to Clare and for furthering sport and tourism there.

As stated by previous speakers, this is essentially a technical Bill to increase the funding cap for spending on capital tourism projects and enterprises from €65 million to €150 million. This increase was identified as necessary in a relatively recent report by the tourism action plan implementation group. It was stated in that report that Ireland's tourism product had become tired and was lacking in verve or bounce for many tourists. I am glad that a number of initiatives have been taken since publication of that report, including in my constituency of Clare.

Those in the tourism industry are increasingly realising the need to deliver greater value for money, which is beginning to happen. There is a need, however, to develop more innovative tourism products too. My home town, Scarriff, will have its first walking festival in October. There are few places on these islands more suited to walking than Scarriff as it is surrounded by Slieve Aughty and Slieve Bernagh, both of which overlook Lough Derg. Most of these lands are in Coillte plantations. While not enough is being done by Coillte, at least the local community through this festival will do what it can to develop a walking tourism infrastructure in the area.

Like Deputy Carey, I commend the Shannon Development proposal to develop an adventure park near Shannon Airport and Bunratty Castle. However, I have more reservations about this project than Deputy Carey. The way it is being dealt with only highlights the current weaknesses of the development structures in the mid-west. Shannon Development must put this project out to tender. While the agency has been involved in many innovative projects in the past, it has no real funding.

While Fáilte Ireland receives funding to promote tourism across the country, it is not specifically tasked with developing tourism in the mid-west. Shannon Development, on the other hand, the body tasked with promoting tourism in the region, does not have the cash to do so. The agency has some excellent people with some excellent development plans but it has no money to put them into practice. Now is not a time when we can afford institutional battles between various agencies. We need a solution that works for Clare, north Tipperary and Limerick.

The post office network could also be used to develop our tourism infrastructure. Every village has a post office in which it may be possible to provide interactive tourism information services. For example, a basic touch-screen information point could be provided in each post office which would allow tourists to access specific local information.

Deputy Harris referred to the link between sport and tourism. My region, along with many others, would like to tap into the tourism potential of the upcoming London Olympics. Tourists, and even sportspeople, could visit Ireland during or in preparation for the Olympics. Limerick university has excellent sporting facilities at which athletes could prepare for the Olympics.

Seaside towns in Clare, such as Kilkee and Lahinch, depend very much on tourism. However, it has been suggested their swimming pools, important tourism attractions, may be closed due to lack of funding. I appreciate funding is tight. While the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport has secured funding for the swimming pool in Shannon, will the Minister consider extending it to Lahinch and Kilkee? Both swimming pools are important parts of the tourism, as well as the sports, infrastructure of those towns.

As we consider the sale of a minority shareholding in the ESB, it must be remembered the Shannon and all its tributary rivers and lakes are vested in the company. Angling has much tourism potential. However, local angling clubs around Lough Derg had to take the ESB to the steps of the High Court to force it to maintain those fisheries. While it is now maintaining them, there is huge scope for angling-based tourism in the mid west and throughout the country. With this legislation raising the cap on spending on tourism infrastructure a little, one area that would provide a return to the Exchequer on its investment is fishing. Some approach with the ESB to tap into the tourism potential of the Shannon fisheries must be worked out.

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