Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will respond to the Deputy in a very positive manner. I will set up that opportunity for him and arrange a meeting with Fáilte Ireland. I will revert to him tomorrow with a date and a time and will attend the meeting. He will have the opportunity to make the presentation to Fáilte Ireland. I see nothing wrong with this.

The Deputy mentioned Waterford Airport and I agree with him. The Government has been pro-tourism and proactive in developing it. We got rid of the travel tax which went from 3% to 0%. The VAT rate was reduced from 13.5% to 9%. We sometimes forget that more than 200,000 people are employed in the industry, in respect of which we announced a new strategy recently. We had 7.5 million visits to the country last year, which brought in €3.5 billion in revenue. We want to bring these figures up to 10 million visits and €5 billion in revenue and increase the number employed in the sector. Sometimes because it is our own industry, an industry within the country, it does not get the credit it deserves for the number of jobs created. Some 16,000 jobs were created last year and many more could be created. Let me give a very simple example. There are three bicycle operators that employ more than 40 people along the Great Western Greenway. Last Tuesday there was not a bike to be had in the area. People were coming to the area, cycling and enjoying their stay. The Wild Atlantic Way has been a tremendous success and a great initiative. More international buyers are coming this year and more people are talking about it. It is going to be another great year in tourism. The figures look good, as does the sentiment.

I have no doubt that what was announced yesterday will be every bit as good, but the communities in the area will have to buy into it, like communities bought into the Wild Atlantic Way in the west, including Donegal, Cork and everywhere else. It is like The Gathering. Communities bought into it, which is why it was a success.

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