Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The key aspect is engagement. There needs to a collaborative approach between industry, local communities, Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and Cork County Council. In recent years, there has been a devolution of authority in respect of tourism development to local authorities. That is very welcome because the ground-up approach is very important and preferable to the national agencies being responsible for everything. I have seen some really positive developments all over the country in that regard.

I draw to the Deputy's attention a scheme that was launched last week. It is aimed at creating destination towns. The concept is to get people to stay longer and spend more in areas that have not traditionally been considered locations for tourism and in which people have not traditionally tended to seek accommodation. The point of this is to develop authentic and off-the-beaten-path experiences. This scheme would suit the Lee Valley area very well and I encourage the Deputy to liaise with Cork County Council, which has a responsibility to apply to that scheme in respect of potential candidate towns. That is one avenue.

When Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland get in contact with the Deputy as a result of today's discussion, I advise him to ensure that there is ongoing collaboration. In my experience, one builds a product through constant collaboration and co-operation between agencies and all stakeholders. The Wild Atlantic Way is only a couple of years old and, as such, is only a fledgling experience. These initiatives take time to build up, but it is worth building solid foundations for them and working at them.

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