Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That point is very well made in terms of stimulating the domestic tourism industry and encouraging it through various mechanisms that are under consideration by the Cabinet sub-committee and the Cabinet. We need to develop incentives and mechanisms to encourage people to spend on bed and breakfasts and to take a weekend away in Ireland over the next number of months because, as we know, tourists are not travelling to Ireland in anywhere near the numbers of a year ago. Of all the sectors of the economy, the travel, tourism and hospitality sector has been most severely hit. We do have to take measures to encourage people to spend and to holiday locally. For example, there is a huge build-up of savings and if we can trigger some of that into the economy, it might help to keep people going over what will be a very difficult period to Christmas.

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