Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak to and support the Bill. I compliment Deputy Alan Kelly for bringing it forward. As he said, it is a commonsense Bill. I welcome the people from the industry who are in the Gallery and who have taken a day off from their businesses to support the Bill. There are 63 microbreweries around the country, the number having spiralled in the last few years. They have added greatly to the rural economy. One of the first was O'Hara's in Carlow which had humble beginnings 21 years ago and now employs over 60 people having moved to bigger premises in recent years. O'Hara's sells its products in 150 pubs and in 25 countries around the world. It is a huge achievement for a company that started from humble beginnings just over 21 years ago. The company also has the future possibility of developing a visitor centre which will hopefully add to the community. Just a mile down the road from O'Hara's is Walsh's whiskey distillery which opened only last year. It is a huge €25 million development which also has the possibility to develop a visitor centre over the next number of years.

What will this do for the rural economy? The huge tourism potential has already been mentioned. Between the two premises I have mentioned, it is hoped to attract 100,000 visitors in the next few years to a rural part of the country, Carlow, which is not traditionally known for its tourism possibilities. Along with the tourism potential of Ireland's Ancient East, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland must join the dots to tie in the microbreweries and distilleries to ensure that it is not just Dublin, Cork and Galway, but the Carlows of this world that attract badly needed tourists to generate more income for local areas. We have heard a great deal of talk over the last number of years of the decline of rural Ireland, including post offices and small schools. Microbreweries are an important element in the rejuvenation and regeneration of rural Ireland. Approximately 400 people are involved in these businesses. Between them, O'Hara's and Walsh's distillery will employ over 100 people in the next two years in the small area of Bagnelstown in County Carlow. If a foreign direct investment company launched a big project in the morning employing 100 people in Ireland, we would all be jumping up and down at how great it was. These are sustainable jobs for the future which are crucial to rural Ireland and it is vital that we support them going forward.

This is also very important from an agricultural point of view. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe has highlighted the plight of the tillage industry in the last year in particular but also across previous years. This is another way to promote the tillage industry and the malt industry. Deputy Fitzmaurice mentioned education, which is crucial. IT Carlow has taken the innovative step of launching the first bachelor of science degree in brewing and distilling in Ireland. The course commences in September and is hugely innovative not only for County Carlow but for the country. Not only can students literally spend their college years drinking beer, whiskey and whatever else, they can now be rewarded for doing so where they enrol in this first alcohol-making course. It is a great idea. Not only is there tourism potential and potential for rural Ireland, there is also educational potential, which is very important.

It is important that we support the Bill. As Deputy Alan Kelly said, it is a common-sense Bill. It is the last piece of the jigsaw required to make sure this is a sustainable business for the future and the third leg of the stool required. It is important that a common-sense approach be taken to the Bill which I am glad to support.

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