Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Deputy Timmins cannot complain about the recent funding from the Department because his constituency did not do too badly. I disagree with him that those who shout the loudest get the most. I believe that those who are prepared to put their hands in their pockets to provide matching funding do not do badly. I come from a community and tourism region where people are prepared to put their hands into their pockets to come up with matching funding and to work with Fáilte Ireland. The biggest factor is they work as a community on one product. If a conference takes place in my home town and one hotel provides the facilities, the other hoteliers will support it because if the main hotel is full, their hotels might attract the overflow and, therefore, they work together as a community.

I agree with the Deputy regarding signage. My Department has provided funding to local authorities but we still have not got this right. We will have to sit down with the National Roads Authority, NRA, and the local authorities. The Deputy is correct that the provision of even more signage, as has happened in some counties, has resulted in visitors being unable to identify where they are going because there is too much signage and we do not want that. A common-sense approach must be adopted by the NRA, the local authorities and so on to make sure that when tourists arrive in the country, they know where they are going. It is one of the complaints I get regularly. Over the past number of weeks, I have had three or four complaints and people are saying, particularly in the Gaeltacht areas, that they cannot read the signs and we must examine this to see if we can put up bilingual signs. It is not right that people cannot find where they are going. I have written to the Minister of State with responsibility for Gaeltacht affairs to see if there is any way forward to deal with that.

Many Members referred to the issue of value for money. In 2010 a visitors attitude survey was carried out. Prior to that 21% of respondents had said they were dissatisfied with prices but I am glad that has reduced to 13% in last year's survey. I hope the recent cuts in VAT and PRSI will ensure a decrease in dissatisfaction among people about prices. This year many people involved in tourism provided value for money. I compliment the Restaurants Association of Ireland and the Irish Hotels Federation for encouraging their members to reduce VAT. In 99.9% of cases, they did and they gave good value for money. I compliment both the restaurant owners and the members of the Irish Hotels Federation on encouraging their members to reduce the VAT. They did that in 99.9% of cases and gave good value for money. I hope we will see a further decrease and that in the next attitude survey, people will say they are getting value for money.

Deputy Spring spoke about the regions and working with the airports and the ferry companies. We tried to deal with the airlines. The Minister, Deputy Varadkar, worked and talked on that but we did not get agreement on it but regarding the money collected from the travel tax, I compliment the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, on allowing us to invest that money in tourism products. I am glad to say we are working with the airlines and the ferry companies and are asking them to submit plans to us. We have told them we will support them if they put up matching funding. We are promoting the regions, supporting the cities and trying to attract people into our country. That fund is available and I compliment both Ministers on allowing us to spend that money in that way.

Deputy McNamara from Clare spoke about Fáilte Ireland and the Shannon Development proposal. A total of €4 million from Fáilte Ireland was put into St. John's Castle in Limerick. All projects are open and all counties can make an application to Fáilte Ireland. It will assess their applications and if they believe the product is worth supporting, funding will be made available to them. People are treated fairly but the big problem over the years has been the matching funding. That is a problem in other areas also but it is something we must deal with.

I thank all the Deputies who contributed to the debate today and last week and for their kind comments. As I stated earlier in the summer, everything is not perfect in tourism but Deputy Timmins should know that we have a very good product. We have a great country, great food and great entertainment but our best asset, which they do not have in the rest of the world, is our people. They can talk and entertain and will welcome visitors to this country, and I am delighted that since 2008 there has been an increase in the number of visitors here.

People will be critical of Ministers or Governments but the stimulus budget sent out the right message. I was in America and in France. The Minister, Deputy Varadkar, was in Germany. We were in Britain. We are working very hard to try to promote the country and we do not have to be told every morning, at dinner time, at 6 p.m. and at 9 p.m. that we have a problem in the country. We all know we have a serious economic problem but there are many positive things happening in the country and in tourism and we need to get across the message that we are open for business, that we are a good country, that we have a good product and we want people to come to our country. I love this country and I love to see people coming here. I like to see people getting value for money and getting a welcome, and I like to thank people for coming to the country.

I take this opportunity to state on the floor of the House that when I was appointed a Minister of State I asked people to consider holidaying at home this year. The Irish people responded and I thank them most sincerely. In April, I asked people if they were going away for two weeks to consider holidaying at home for a week or if they go away for weekends to consider staying in Ireland for a particular weekend of if they were taking a week's holidays that they might take two or three days in Ireland and then go abroad. The Irish people responded. They stayed at home this year. The one thing we could not guarantee them was the weather. Those who live here like to see some sunshine, as we had today and yesterday. It is a pity the summer is coming so late but that should not stop people enjoying it. The weather is good. If they still want to take holidays somewhere in the country, there is great value available. We have great commodities and people who will provide them with cheap beds for the night and good meals at good value.

I compliment the people who put their hands into their pockets. I refer to the small business people with family run hotels, restaurants and other businesses. The backbone of our society now is the small businesses, and I want to compliment them. In difficult times they are brave enough to work hard. They are trying to employ people and pay their taxes. They are also trying to make sure that we get out of the economic mess we are in, and tourism is one of the ways we can do that.

Over 180,000 people are employed in tourism here. The industry brings in approximately €5 billion a year. It is a great industry and one in which I believe we can do more. I will be putting pressure on Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland to make sure they promote the country and work with the industry. There is great good will towards Ireland in America and in France. Deputy Timmins should know the French people love the west of Ireland and he should not be jealous if they do not want to go to Wicklow. They love coming to the west of Ireland, and they do not come for the weather. They are happy to visit and see what is there. The Americans are the same.

I met a man in a lift when I was on holiday in Killarney with whom I sympathised about the weather. He said he did not come to this country for the weather. He said when he left Kansas it was 120o. He said he loved the weather in Ireland and he loved coming to Ireland. We are always thinking about the weather. We have a good country, good people and a good product. I say to Members, and to the media, that we need to sell a bit of positivity because everything is not negative.

This is a technical Bill and if any Member wants to put down amendments on Committee Stage we will examine them but its purpose is simple. We are increasing the funding to Fáilte Ireland from €65 million to €150 million but that is not a guarantee that it will have the money. It will depend on budgetary constraints but it is important because in the coming years we would have gone over the limit set in legislation by this House. It is important that we are ready for the future because I see a bright future for tourism here and for those in the tourism industry.

In a recession people start to think outside the box, and they are doing that now. I recently attended a food fare in Westport. People are producing. The other day I opened a beehive business which will provide honey. That is what we did not do for the past ten years. We thought we did not need all of that. We thought the tiger would never die but the tiger has died and we have to examine other ways to make a living. We have to ensure this country survives, and people are talking about that. They are working together as communities and seeing what they can do for themselves, their area, their community and the country. That is important.

I thank everybody for their positivity in regard to tourism. As I said, everything is not perfect but we have a good product. We are under pressure from competition in other countries but we have to sell our product. We have a good product and good people and I have no doubt that in the coming years more people will come to this country. The American market is looking good for this year. It is up 17% and is looking even better for next year.

I chair an interdepartmental committee which is working on ways and means of trying to get people to come here during the Olympic Games in Britain next year.

We have to start thinking outside the box and working together but the State cannot do everything for every area. Individual counties must lead. They must get the support from the State and the State should respond. If there are people in Wicklow with ideas on projects and some money to put forward, Fáilte Ireland representatives should sit down with them and help them in any way possible.

Regarding tourism, I am glad the local authorities are putting people in charge of tourism because they now realise it is very important. Every corner of the country has something to offer. There is something in every county in every corner of this country. If there is one job, it takes two to beat it and I have no doubt that people will start thinking outside the box and that tourism will be the way forward and will help us get out of the economic mess we are in. I thank the Members who were positive and who came up with very good suggestions.

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