Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this matter at an important time for development at Malin Head. I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, will be up to speed on proposals to develop Malin Head as a tourist destination. Significant investment has been made recently to develop pathways and improve access to the area. The potential of Malin Head as one of the key tourism destinations in Ireland remains very much untapped. The 100,000 visitors to the area each year are drawn by Malin Head's natural beauty and intrinsic and undeniable advantages. Despite this, the area has been left behind in terms of securing the investment required to allow it to develop further and offer the types of facilities that tourists expect.

I commend Bord Fáilte on its Wild Atlantic Way initiative, which offers immense potential for County Donegal and the entire west coast. I also commend the Minister of State and the Government on backing the initiative. Of the 15 key signature discovery points along the Wild Atlantic Way, which stretches from Kinsale Head to Malin Head, three are located in County Donegal. These are Fanad Head and its lighthouse, the Slieve League cliffs and Malin Head. Given that the first two are in receipt of investment funding, I am sure the Minister of State will agree that the key priority now is to ensure investment is also made in Malin Head. Investment proposals have been made by Donegal County Council, working locally with Bord Fáilte. My purpose in raising this issue is to emphasise the importance of allocating funds to the phase two proposal. If such funding is provided, I expect that considerable progress will be made in attracting visitors to County Donegal and delivering economic benefits to local people.

I commend the work of many other organisations which have contributed towards the investment project. Malin Head Community Association has done significant work in trying to bring forward the project, as has the Malin Head working group under the Inishowen Development Partnership. I am working with Councillor Martin McDermott from Malin Head to advance the project. I hope the Minister of State will provide a timeline for the second phase of investment in the area and give a commitment that the Government will work with Bord Fáilte on a third phase that will deliver an iconic project in Malin Head, which will become one of the leading attractions nationwide for tourists.

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