Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

I offer the figures from mainland Europe. Figures from Germany are up 10%, figures from France are up by 6%, figures from Italy are up by 9%, figures from the Nordic region are up by 9.5% and those from the Benelux countries are up by 8%. There are several factors which explain why the British market is depressed and they do not apply only to this side of the Irish Sea.

New television advertisements will feature in the coming weeks in Britain, France and Germany, in cinemas in Britain, the United States, Spain and Italy, and there will be outdoor advertising in Britain. There will be some events around the Olympic Games, including a Gathering event. The focus will be on these top four markets in particular. I am reasonably confident we will see better figures in the coming months. This has been the suggestion from the industry for the coming months, the peak season, because the bookings are strong.

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