Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and her officials for being here and the excellent work they are doing. It means an awful lot to the people working in the industry, particularly in my constituency in County Kerry where the tourism and hospitality sector is so important to the wider economy.

I will raise a couple of issues in the relatively brief time I have. We could have only have dreamt of this amount of money a short few years ago. I remember 11 or 12 years ago discussing legislation of this nature and the amount of funding involved was only a fraction of what we have today. That is a good sign of where we are. We need to keep reinvesting in the Irish tourism product, which is why this Bill is welcome.

Experiences such as the Wild Atlantic Way, along which I live, and Ireland’s Ancient East and the Hidden Heartlands are very positive and have been a progressive feature of Irish tourism in recent years. One of the challenges we have is the car rental market, which I flagged previously. Many customers had a terrible experience in 2022 as a result of the price gouging that took place.

There is a further challenge coming down the road in 2023, however. Much of the stock that is there at the moment comprises cars with 191 or 192 registration plates, many of which will be facing the national car test, NCT, in the new year but simply will not be able to get an appointment for a test. Hundreds, if not thousands, of 191 and 192 registered rental cars could be taken off the market early in the new year while awaiting an NCT appointment. That needs to be addressed.

Another significant challenge relates to the costs associated with importing new or used cars. In particular, I refer to UK imports and the vehicle registration tax, customs and VAT prices associated with their importation. It simply makes them unviable and reduces the amount of stock available. Many Deputies are trying to push the likes of the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland's Ancient East and the Hidden Heartlands but if people cannot rent cars when they come here, it makes it very difficult for them to access those areas. Until we get to a point where it can be done more sustainably, car rental will be necessary for the vast majority of people visiting these experiences.

I encourage further progress in respect of the development of the Irish Sea way, a matter that I was keen to get onto the programme for Government, and the wild Atlantic walkway. I regularly raise this issue and seek updates on it, and I thank the Minister for her replies. I want to keep it on the agenda. These are important proposals with significant untapped potential that will introduce new elements to Irish tourism in the years and decades ahead.

As regards greenways, it is critical that we keep building them, but also keep connecting them. I had the pleasure of cycling the new Listowel-Limerick greenway last Monday morning. It was not my typical Monday morning. I took a couple of hours off to check it out with my former colleague, Jimmy Deenihan, and it was a marvellous experience. I also did some of the Tralee-Fenit greenway with my children when it opened last Saturday. Those greenways are beautiful and fantastic experiences that will definitely add to the county. Greenways are being developed throughout the country. We hope the south Kerry greenway will be started before the end of the year. It is important that there is a connection between the greenways so that people can cycle along a network of them. I welcome the announcements yesterday by the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, but we need to keep pushing that and creating as many safe and segregated cycleways as possible, with plenty to see and do, as well as all the other things that we know are needed.

I wish to raise the issue of camper vans and the lack of infrastructure for them. There is an opportunity here for local authorities. People are coming here in camper vans and camping ad hoc. A regulated and controlled system could turn into an opportunity for local authorities in terms of revenue-raising potential, but also in terms of protecting sensitive areas and ensuring there is a little bit of law and order in the context of how camper vans are dealt with in this country. There is an economic benefit to be gained from the people who come. Despite the fact that many people dismiss camper vans, there is an economic benefit to be gained from the people who travel here in them. However, there needs to be a proper strategy for how to roll this out among local authorities.

I am a long-time advocate of retaining the 9% VAT rate. That is the maximum the rate should be to allow us to compete with our European competitors. I hope that between now and 28 February the right thing will be done in respect of the 2023 season. I ask that the many not be punished for the sins of the few in the context of the price gouging that we have seen. There is excellent value to be had in many places. I ask that data be provided to the House in respect of accommodation and food services and the VAT breakdown in that regard. One option that could be considered is the application of a 9% VAT to one of the services if it cannot be done for both. If that could be done, it would at least be better than a complete reversal. I feel strongly on that issue.

I welcome the extension of the debt warehousing scheme. It is important for tourism operators, as are the energy support grants that were announced in the budget. They are massively important as people go into winter, but they will be also be very helpful to businesses, which may otherwise have to close, as they prepare for spring. We need to keep a close eye on that because 2023 will be a challenging year and it will be difficult for people to recover from what have been, in effect, three extremely challenging seasons. There is only so much straw the camel's back can take before it finally breaks. Many operators have been through three really difficult seasons and are finding it difficult to cope.I welcome the extension of those supports but we need to keep a close eye on them to ensure they are not withdrawn too early, before people have a proper chance to recover and to build for the future.

In the few seconds I have remaining, I commend the work of Fáilte Ireland, but also the work of our colleagues in Tourism Ireland to get people into the country in the first place. They do vital work, without which we would have far fewer tourists in the country. Ireland has a relatively small economy and population, so that vital work, in conjunction with the work of Fáilte Ireland, is welcome. I encourage every collaboration between those two agencies.

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