Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. Tourism is ferociously important right around the country. In fairness, in recent years many proactive initiatives have been taken. Many times we come into the House and attack Ministers for things that are not done but, in fairness, the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, has been proactive. I refer in particular to the VAT rate which has been of considerable importance to struggling hoteliers around the country.

I am sure the Minister of State shares my concern about bed spaces in Dublin. The prices are rising. Increased numbers of tourists are coming to Dublin but there are other places around the country that might not have benefited to the same extent. It is necessary to strike the balance and to remain competitive. We cannot return to the previous high price of hotel beds. We must be competitive in order to encourage people to keep coming to the country rather than going elsewhere. We must be aware of the balance required once the price of beds begins to get out of control. We must also ensure that we focus on the areas that have not benefited as much.

That is a challenge that faces the country.

As a nation we must ensure that if one sector begins to improve, we do not lose the run of ourselves and damage the sector. There have been tourism benefits due to the strength of sterling and the dollar. We must ensure we take an aggressive approach in order to capitalise on getting more people from England and America to come here. This country is an attractive destination at the moment and we must put our best foot forward and sell the country well.

When a film was being made on one of the islands many do-gooders were trying to stop people from going there. We must ensure that we encourage the film sector and other initiatives which will benefit the country's tourism in any way. That is of the utmost importance. Many people visit Scotland and there may be things we can learn from the Scots.

The Wild Atlantic Way has been a great success. It is a trophy project that can be shown to all. In that context we must ensure that the likes of Knock Airport becomes a hub for people, which will boost the area as well. The River Shannon has considerable potential. In the context of the recent flooding I suggested constructing a canal from the Atlantic Ocean in order that cruisers and other boats could move along the Shannon and along the canal to Dublin. That could be a new tourism initiative and is worth thinking about. Initiatives are required on the rivers Shannon and Suck, as County Roscommon needs a boost.

I agree that bed space has been a major problem in many counties. During the recession hotels got in trouble and were closed or taken over by the banks. In fairness, many of those premises are starting to open again and we must ensure we have incentives in place. In fairness to Roscommon County Council, it is helping people to get up and running step by step.

I would like to see a renewed focus on counties that do not get as many tourists. Every county has something unique about it. We must put our heads together to see how we can ensure tourists who are in Dublin for a day will go to Mayo, Kerry or Roscommon for another day. We must get the most out of people while they are here. I am involved in a hotel project in Roscommon which with a bit of luck will be open in the next couple of months. It is like building a house in that one must put in foundations before one can bring people there. There are some great people involved in the hotel industry. For example, Gleesons in Roscommon has constantly gone abroad to promote the area. Fáilte Ireland must liaise more with such people.

We must ensure we have the infrastructure in place. For example, it would be of great benefit if we had rail links to ensure connectivity. In the west there has been a missed opportunity in the context of trans-European transport networks, TEN-T funding, as we might have been able to extract some money from Europe to put infrastructure in place.

The web summit will be a loss to this country but that will not be felt this year or next year because bed spaces are full. I do not wish to get into the blame game of who lost or won it but we must ensure we learn from where we went wrong in that regard and see whether we can rectify the situation. Sometimes one must swallow one’s pride and go to a person and get him or her on board again. There will always be toing and froing and arguments but ultimately, it is about getting people into the country.

In the west, Roscommon, for example, has potential because of the rivers Shannon and the Suck. Fáilte Ireland must try to work with people. One issue on which I was vocal as I found it very hard to accept is the approach taken by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to planning. It made life difficult for businesses that wished to put up signs. The Department took a hard line with people who put up roadside signs advertising that they were open for business for meals or other services. We must ensure that we are not foolish in that respect. It does not make sense to tell a person to take down a sign when it is for their business and they are generating money. We must ensure that things are done properly but we should not obstruct people at a time when they are trying to get off the ground with their business. People need to advertise their businesses in all parts of the country, especially in those areas where fewer people travel.

Infrastructure is of the utmost importance around the country. The tourism sector is going in the right direction. Tourist numbers are on the increase, which is good. It is a success story and I will not give out about it. However, if one is going well, one must ensure that one has a plan to go even better. Fáilte Ireland and the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, if he is in the job after the election, or whoever else is in the job, must keep up the pressure. We are starting to develop something that can be even greater if we keep exploring new approaches.

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