Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy answered his last question himself. He asked what the Government's role is and if it relates to policy. I answered that question. The first sentence in my initial response was that the role of the Department relates primarily to policy. I am a former Minister of State in the Department with responsibility for tourism. The role of the Department is the formulation of policy and Fáilte Ireland's role is as a national vehicle for the implementation of policy. Tourism Ireland's role is as a vehicle for the delivery of policy internationally on a cross-Border basis. The Minister's role is not the direction of day-to-day traffic within Fáilte Ireland. The Minister's role relates primarily to legislation, policy and, on an annualised basis, the drawing down of Exchequer funds to make sure Fáilte Ireland can deliver to Strandhill, Rosses Point, Inniscrone, Sligo town and all the other towns and villages. If the Minister were not focused on that, I am sure Deputies such as Deputy MacSharry would have something entirely different to say. If he were to say that the Minister was micromanaging Fáilte Ireland, we would all have something entirely different to say in that the Minister could be accused of managing four mice at the crossroads. That is not the role of the Minister. It is not the role of the Minister to grease parish pumps. It is the role of the Minister to outline a vision for the development of tourism over a five-year, ten-year or 15-year period to make sure that the maximum number of people visit this country internationally and, in the first instance, nationally, that the greatest number of people possible can get employment around the country and that we can have the greatest amount of economic benefit from that as is possible. Looking over recent years and successive Ministers with responsibility for tourism, that is where our primary focus has been. It is not fair that the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, should be criticised for just doing her job.

See this speech in context