Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Aindrias Moynihan for raising this issue. I absolutely agree with him that there is huge potential in that part of Cork. It is a very beautiful and interesting part of the county which has a rich built heritage, a rich history and a rich culture. There is enormous potential in the area, which fits in very well with the experiences we are rolling out such as the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland's Ancient East.

As the Deputy is probably aware, the tourism agencies of Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland have operational responsibility for the development and promotion, both domestic and overseas, of regions such as the Lee Valley.

As part of this, Fáilte Ireland is engaging in a programme to extend the concept of the Wild Atlantic Way to the wider region, as distinct from the Wild Atlantic Way route. This encompasses areas that are not on the Wild Atlantic Way route but that are part of the wider hinterland. The main growth opportunity for these areas is to attract the visitor already coming from or going to the Wild Atlantic Way.  The Lee Valley has been designated part of the Wild Atlantic Way region and is included in all of Fáilte Ireland's development, promotional and business-support activities. The agency will be working with businesses on the ground and hosting a number of workshops in the area.  At these workshops it will explain how opportunities can be maximised and how to make the most of the Wild Atlantic Way region brand.

Fáilte Ireland is also currently reviewing their itineraries on the Wild Atlantic Way website.  It will be working with tourism businesses in the Wild Atlantic Way region to showcase experiences on the new Wild Atlantic Way website later this year to create an awareness of these experiences and grow visitor numbers to the area.

Furthermore, I understand that Tourism Ireland is working with Cork Airport and tourism industry partners to highlight Cork as a stand-alone destination and also as a gateway to both the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland's Ancient East. In this context, Tourism Ireland recommends that tourism businesses from the Lee Valley register on the industry opportunities website for a range of opportunities to promote their businesses across the world. For more detail, I have asked both tourism agencies to provide the Deputy with further information on their work in the Lee Valley area.  Both Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland will contact the Deputy directly in that regard.

Later this evening I will be attending the Meitheal exhibition in west Dublin. This is Fáilte Ireland's biggest event this year, at which it will be showcasing all parts of the country to people from 22 different countries. Next week I will be in North America with Tourism Ireland, leading a major trade mission aimed at continuing to grow the number of visitors from North America.

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