Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We live in a great country and we have great people, but we are not doing ourselves any justice. While at the same time it is not fair for me to comment on everyone with the same brush, the facts speak for themselves. The price of hotel accommodation and the costs of car rental, parking, food and everything else are going totally out of control. During the pandemic the country had an opportunity to put itself back on the map. The Minister referred earlier to spending €80 million on Tourism Ireland, which is welcome. I have met many people in my county of Louth who travelled here for the past number of years. They got some fantastic holidays. However, when they went to book it three or six months later to go back to the same place or a similar place, it was double or treble the price. The hotels did not want them at all, but during the pandemic they wanted us. It was mentioned earlier by Deputies that the simple thing is to go abroad but I believe that people do want to stay in Ireland. If one goes abroad one gets a flight, accommodation and a guarantee of weather, and it is a lot cheaper than everything else. People do want to stay in their own country too because this country really came together during the pandemic.

I have spoken with some people who came in from Canada a few weeks ago. With regard to the Dublin Airport Authority, which is a semi-State company, when they came in from Canada they waited seven hours to get their bags and everything else. That is happening on a regular enough basis. In tonight's debate we are just concentrating on Irish people, but these tourists are coming in here and getting very bad vibes at Dublin Airport. What is happening? Are we getting value for money with that €80 million budget?

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