Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this Bill. It is pertinent to mention that this is about trying to create employment in our country and improve the standard of living of our people. The acronym I use when I speak about recovery in my constituency is TEAM, which stands for tourism, energy, agribusiness and microenterprise. The legislation before the House can contribute to this country's development of tourism, which is the biggest industry in the world. Activity-based tourism is the biggest growth sector in the tourism industry. Walking, particularly hill walking, is the largest part of the activity-based tourism sector. People in Austria, Germany and the Scandinavian countries seem to have taken to this form of tourism as their preferred type of recreational holiday.

I would like to explain why I believe legislation is necessary. I am involved in trying to reopen old railway lines for the purposes of developing walking and cycling routes. I am particularly keen to develop a route between the west of Ireland and Dublin as a tourism product. In the course of my efforts, I have learned that people have ended up claiming squatters' rights over a number of disused railway lines. Typically, those involved are the adjacent landowners and farmers. I have nothing but the height of respect for the farming community. I assure farmers that I have no aspiration to cause any threat to their stock, harm their livelihoods or damage their lands.

It is imperative that we develop a joined-up strategy for how people can access the countryside and develop a product that is holistic in nature. It is appropriate that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW have contributed to this debate. I have noticed that some of the routes which are being developed have a decent level of infrastructure but do not have the ancillary facilities that are necessary. One can walk from Tralee to Fenit on the old railway line, which will be applying for UNESCO world heritage status. It takes approximately 16 or 17 hours to walk the stretch of the Dingle Way between Tralee and Dingle. One can do it in a day, although it is uncomfortable, but there is nowhere for one to stop along the way. It could be marketed extensively on the basis of its association with Tom Crean's South Pole Inn, which is towards the end of the route. I would like hostels to be developed along the Dingle Way. I would like bus routes to be developed so that people could be picked up, brought to where they are staying and dropped back the following day.

I am excited about this Bill. I am excited about our capacity to create a new tourism product as well. More needs to be done to create a product and develop it from there. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me two minutes. I know the time remaining in this debate is limited. Legislation is probably the way to go in this regard. I ask farmers and landowners to take note of the comments of one of our most eminent business people, Denis Brosnan, who is a former chief executive of the Kerry Group. It is the largest food ingredients company in the world and employs more than 25,000 people. It started out in a little cabin in north Kerry. Mr. Brosnan has advised the people of Kerry that the future is in tourism, rather than agriculture, because there is no limit to what we can provide for. This is a step in the right direction. I thank Deputy Dowds for introducing this Bill. I hope it goes further.

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