Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As tourism and transport are intrinsically linked and are both part of the Minister's portfolio, I will touch on both. The Minister referred to public transport and electric buses in his statement. Improved public transport will obviously lead to reduced emissions but it could also potentially open up the regions to sustainable tourism. Such tourism does not exist at the moment. I will take west Cork, where I am from, as an example. It is a tourism hotspot but the only way a tourist can get there is by car. That is not sustainable. We need an improved public transport network in order that tourists can get there using public transport, thereby leading to a real reduction in emissions.

The ironic thing is that, when one does get there, there are incredible options for low-emission, low-carbon activities. Kayaking, hill walking and surfing all are zero-carbon activities. Whale watching is another example. The coast of west Cork is teeming with humpback whales at the moment. It is another low-carbon activity but one cannot get to the coast by public transport. That needs to change. We need proper investment in public transport.

I will move on to another form of green public transport, namely, greenway trails, to which Deputy MacSharry referred. There has been a chronic lack of investment in greenway trails in my home county of Cork and particularly in west Cork. West Cork is absolutely ripe for investment in greenway trails. They are more than just a tourism attraction; they are actually a valid form of sustainable public transport. The route from Bandon to Innishannon, along the beautiful banks of the River Bandon, would be perfect for a greenway trail, as would the route from Clonakilty to Inchydoney. Inchydoney has one of the most iconic beaches in Europe and yet the only safe way to get there is by car. That needs to change. We need greenway trails. The same could be said for the route from Baltimore, Skibbereen and Clonakilty to Courtmacsherry.

I will finish on one very important point. If we do not look after our tourism industry, there will not be a tourism industry post pandemic. We need supports. I recently held Zoom calls with the chambers of commerce and chambers of tourism in Clonakilty, Skibbereen, Bandon and Kinsale. They are looking for clarity and for support. I spoke to one hotelier who expects the extra costs for staffing, PPE and sanitiser to total approximately €12,500 per month. We need a proper system to support these business people in order that they can survive this pandemic and get up and running again. More than anything else, they need clarity.

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