Dáil debates

Wednesday, 25 October 2017

Finance Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed)

 

9:35 pm

Photo of Brendan GriffinBrendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

He was a driver. He did take part in the audition process. He left the acting to his son. As I said, he worked in the industry for almost 40 years and our family benefited hugely from that income from it. I have three brothers. We all got to go to college and progress in life, in part because of that income. The 230,000 people employed in tourism are just like my family. They all individually have hopes, dreams and aspirations. The tourism industry provides a huge chunk of employment in the country. We need to ensure the growth will continue but in a way that is sustainable and beneficial to all communities, society and the environment.

I was in Scattery Island in County Clare yesterday where the winners and finalists of the European Destination of Excellence, EDEN, awards for excellence in tourism sponsored by the European Commission and administered by Fáilte Ireland were recognised. Sustainability is at the heart of that. We must ensure that is at the heart of our tourism industry in order that our children and grandchildren can benefit as much as we do. That is very much at the heart of Government policy.

I am glad that an extra €50 million has been allocated to greenway development, which has sustainability written all over it. There is huge potential for additional greenways. Research shows that every euro spent on greenways has a massive return in terms of economic activity. An example of that is the greenway from Westport to Achill. I was on the route from Newport to Mulranny in 2010 and it was a short, quiet greenway. I went back in 2013 and when I was sitting in a hotel in Achill waiting for a taxi to bring me back to Westport after completing the greenway I wrote a blog entitled "Why greenways should be called goldways". Activity on the route included taxi hire, cafés, bicycle hire and many other little shops doing very well out of it. There is great potential to do even more in that regard. Members know of the Dungarvan greenway, which is going very well, and there is much more potential in terms of canal banks, old railway lines and various other assets. In terms of old railway lines, I am particularly familiar with the south Kerry line from Farranfore to Valentia Harbour and lines from Tralee to Fenit and Kilmorna to Listowel. Not only are those assets available but we have an obligation to those gone before us who built those fantastic feats of engineering by hand to make the most of those resources. Not to do so would be a terrible waste. Those fantastic feats of engineering were put in place in the late 1800s when there was little machinery to assist in their construction. We have an opportunity to make the most of them for this generation and for future generations and need to grasp that opportunity. I am, therefore, glad that €50 million has been allocated for drawdown in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and will be working on that within my Department.

In terms of the sports capital programme I was thrilled, working with the Minister, Deputy Ross, that our budget for the current programme was increased to €60 million from its current level of €30 million. That will give us an excellent opportunity to roll out a very responsive sports capital programme for the needs of local and regional sporting organisations. Considering that we had €155 million worth of applications, €30 million would only hit the tip of the iceberg. Thankfully, €60 million will clear much of the backlog and prevent many volunteer applicants having to again go through the very tedious process of application. It will mean very positive outcomes for applicants. Positive health policy, participation and preventative health measures are at the heart of the programme. It has left excellent footprints around the country. Some €911 million has been invested in sports facilities throughout the country since 1998. If one drives around Ireland one will see the great sporting facilities in various parts of the country. This is a scheme that is working well and needs to continue. I am glad that we hope to be able to roll out an excellent programme in the coming weeks that will help increase participation and will give an extra weighting to the disadvantaged in order that they get more out of it.

There was provision in the budget for €50 million in 2019, 2020 and 2021 for large-scale projects above the threshold of the sports capital programme. There are current thresholds of €150,000 and €200,000 for local and regional sports capital programmes, respectively, and an overall budget of €4 million for the regional programme this year. The large-scale projects will now have €50 million available to them in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and we will be inviting expressions of interest in 2018 for such projects.

I am also glad that provision has been made for phase two of the national indoor arena at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown to be completed. Provision has been made for a velodrome and badminton centre to be built thereafter. Those projects are long awaited but are very positive and even though they will not be in place before the Tokyo Olympics, it is hoped that at Paris 2024 Irish athletes will be in a position to contest medals because of having the benefit of those facilities.

I went to Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday. As a Kerryman, it was unusual for me to be there and see a Cork team winning but it was the finals of the Cork county championship. I congratulate Nemo Rangers on its win in the football championship. Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a fantastic facility into which €30 million of State funding has been invested. That was financed by capital spending by my Department and is an example of the positive achievements of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in conjunction with funding from the GAA.

I would like more funding to have been allocated to sporting organisations. However, the Government subsidy to Sport Ireland will be just shy of €50 million this year, which is a slight increase in terms of current expenditure. However, we need to make greater future provision in terms of current spending for our sporting bodies, in particular for the high performance area. They have done extremely well in terms of capital funding but more current funding is needed and I would like that to happen because it is money well spent.

Money spent on national governing bodies trickles into every community in the country and increases participation, which is good for the overall health of the nation. Any money we spend on sport today will lead to long-term savings. It is one of the most positive areas in which money can be spent. It is to be hoped that as the overall situation improves, the Government will be able to do more in that regard.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.