Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and while I do not mean for my comments to be taken personally, I am deeply disappointed by the approach taken by various Ministers in response to what can only be described as a tremendous loss to the State. This represents a €100 million loss to the economy next year with the loss of 40,000 people visiting the city, staying in hotels, eating in restaurants and spending their money. The only response from the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance along the way has been that another conference will be found to fill the slot. This fails to understand and recognise the importance of this event and what it does to the technology sector, to small and medium-sized enterprises trying to get a start and to attracting foreign investment to support such companies. Moreover, to state on behalf of the Government it now is "open to engaging" is somewhat akin to telling somebody one is open to the idea of closing the door after the horse has bolted. The first thing the Government must do is to engage proactively with the promoters but nowhere do I get any sense of urgency from the Government. As for explaining it away by stating it is a commercial matter, it is not a commercial matter. Mr. Cosgrave and others have been clear there are infrastructural and organisational issues which, were they addressed, could have retained the event here.

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