Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

I welcome the introduction of the Bill. I am very pleased the Fine Gael-led Government has decided to increase investment in the vital tourism sector, including in my constituency, Cork South-West. As mentioned, the primary focus of the Bill is the increase in funding to Fáilte Ireland from €65 million to €150 million. It is not just the increase in funding that makes this Bill significant. It and the fiscal measures introduced recently by the Government send out a strong declaration that the Government intends to focus on the tourism sector to provide much-needed employment, not just in areas such as Dublin but also throughout the regions. Dublin has led the charge in terms of tourism revenue, particularly that generated by tourists from abroad. However, the reality is that regions such as Cork South-West have been very strong on local tourism. People from the east and Dublin always look to the west, south and north when going on holiday. The sources of revenue in this regard are very much spread evenly throughout the country.

The tourism project is a multi-agency effort. Nobody expects the Minister to be at every airport greeting every passenger, for example. That is not how it works. However, his enthusiasm and passion for the sector have been infectious and should drive the multi-strand numerous agencies involved in tourism to up their effort and identify the advantages to the economy offered by tourism.

Every Deputy has mentioned tourism issues in his or her constituency and I would like to focus on those which deserve attention in my area. One such issue is access, as without access there is no tourism sector. I acknowledge the efforts of West Cork Tourism to replace the Cork to Swansea ferry service. This was kick-started by raising €3 million locally through pledges from 300 shareholders in the tourism and other sectors. This type of very local effort can provide a national infrastructure to help our economy. The West Cork Tourism co-operative and those who supported it, the Department and the Government deserve to be mentioned in this regard.

A great example of a multi-agency approach to improve our tourism sector is the re-opening of the Mizen Head bridge which is a huge engineering feat completed with co-operation between Cork County Council, the Commissioner of Irish Lights and Fáilte Ireland. It is up for an Engineers Ireland award and I ask everybody to look at www.engineersireland.ie to see what has been done and when convinced that it is worth voting for, to do so.

The western division of Cork County Council has developed a marine leisure strategy which can be replicated throughout the country. Marine leisure is an underutilised resource through which we can attract a huge amount of revenue. With regard to military history tourism, one can follow a military archaeological and history trail west from Spike Island to Bere Island. The tourism season for this can last 12 months a year as there is genuine interest in countries such as the UK in this sector. We have overlooked it and it has huge potential.

Our waymarked ways and hillwalking have been mentioned. Not only do they encourage tourism but they encourage locals and actively promote better health. The benefits of every euro spent on these is immeasurable not only to the visitors, but to locals. Waymarked ways such as the Beara Way walk, the Sheep's Head Way walk and the Beara Breffni walk which goes throughout the country are pioneers in this regard. It is good to see that landowners are being acknowledged; they do not receive great money but it is acknowledged that they have opened up their land-holdings to visitors. In places such as west Cork, we can truly state the land is open and available and that people who wish to walk the hills and waymarked ways are quite welcome to do so. This is very important.

The arts and literature sectors are very important in areas such as west Cork, in the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's county and in the Minister of State's county. These sectors deserve great support and quite often they are overlooked in the mainstream. However, they add a great amount to our tourism revenues and play a very important part in the social life of these areas.

The tourism sector plays at various levels from the big stakes of large lucrative developments to complimenting farming or fishing in smaller regional areas, whereby people can earn a little from the tourism sector and supplement their on-farm income. This cannot be overestimated. It is very important to maintain this through a multi-agency approach.

We must maintain communication with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and local authorities on improving infrastructure and signage. Locals know the shortest route from point A to point B. When developing signage, we must assume it is for a visitor. We must encourage better signage in association with local authorities to make it far more attractive to travel the highways.

Fáilte Ireland has moved away from supporting small-scale projects and towards larger projects such as the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway. These larger projects are very lucrative and this is how it should go, but it should not forget the festivals in small villages and towns. The Minister of State has a great role to play in this, not through direct funding but through the passion he has for developing these, particularly in areas which have historically had high emigration. Many who emigrate look for an excuse to return for a week or two and these festivals will bring them back. They will know they will meet people whom they met the year before or whom they have not met for 20 years. While these festivals are small-scale and may not appear in Fáilte Ireland's horizon, they are very important for regional areas in my constituency and those of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and the Minister of State.

The television programme "Who Do You Think You Are" has highlighted genealogical tourism, which could attract much investment and interest and this could be drawn on over 12 months of the year.

I compliment the work done by the Minister of State to date. His passion is without question and it has genuinely helped shape and increase the country's tourism sector.

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