Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Renua Ireland) | Oireachtas source

I did not raise the issue because Wicklow is not included in this round of funding. I am pleased to see the Blackstairs project in Carlow got funding. That is fantastic. County Carlow is beautiful. It is unheralded and unknown by many as a tourism destination but it is very attractive, for example, the Barrow Valley in the St. Mullins area.

The statement on tourism issued by the Ministers in recent days outlined that the next round of funding in Ireland’s Ancient East project would go to the roll-out of signage. I heard that before in the context of the driving routes which gives me cause for concern. In my county there is signage for the Excalibur Way and the Michael Collins Way. There is signage everywhere but it leads nowhere.

I am concerned that we do not have a concept of Ireland’s Ancient East. The Minister of State indicated that it is important that the stakeholders buy into the project. I agree. However, one cannot buy a pig in a poke. I work with excellent staff and since I came into the Chamber I got a copy of a local free newspaper, the Wicklow Voice, for tomorrow, 17 December. It has not even been published yet. In it the chairman of Wicklow Tourism, Mr. Noel Keyes, states he has attended numerous meetings on the initiative and he is unclear what Fáilte Ireland is doing and what the initiative is about. He has a vested interest in trying to get the project going. A group under his chairmanship has led several local projects and it is putting in a great effort on a very limited budget in order to try to buy into every project. I have much affection for the west and I also have a lot of affection for Cork, a nice and fine county. I noticed three locations in Cork had received funding earlier in the week. The Minister of State will never convince me that we will see a Cork man wearing a Leinster jersey. I would not say anyone from Cork would claim to be from the east. Let us stop trying to encompass everybody. There should be projects for every area but if we want to make Ireland’s Ancient East concept work let us concentrate on that and not just have a pot of funding that goes to everybody from Monaghan to where the Wild Atlantic Way stops in Kinsale.

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