Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I believe that part may have been disallowed but I will certainly come back to it. The importance of the tourism sector to the Irish economy and to communities in every corner of Ireland is well understood. Tourism is woven into the fabric of our Irish cultural and social life. As a proud Monaghan woman and a proud Carrickmacross woman born and bred, transplanted to Dublin, I am very conscious of the importance of the tourism sector, particularly throughout regions and I have and will continue to engage and advocate with my colleagues in Government on tourism issues and on behalf of the tourism sector.

My Department's role in respect of tourism lies primarily in the area of national tourism policy. Implementation of that policy is a matter for the tourism agencies, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland primarily. There is continued valuable engagement between Fáilte Ireland, Monaghan County Council and other State bodies with the aim of ensuring that Monaghan’s tourism offering continues to develop. It is part of Ireland’s Ancient East, which was launched in 2015 as a mechanism to unify the region as an internationally marketable tourism destination. The Ireland’s Ancient East regional tourism development strategy 2023-27 is a roadmap for the tourism industry and all its stakeholders in the region to navigate the current challenges and steer a course towards recovery and future success. The plan sets out a strategic approach to unlocking the commercial potential of Ireland’s Ancient East. To activate the regional strategy, Fáilte Ireland has established the Monaghan destination experience development plan, which was developed through a consultative process involving tourism industry representatives, members of the local community and Monaghan County Council. Indeed, I was delighted to launch the that plan in June 2022 along with my colleague the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys, in the lovely location of Castle Leslie.

County Monaghan, in my opinion, is Ireland’s best-kept secret. I may have a little bit of bias, like the Deputy. It is home to Lough Muckno, a world-class centre for angling and wakeboarding; Rossmore Forest Park, Carrickmacross Lace; Clones Lace; historic houses; and the drumlin-dotted landscape which inspired the poems of Patrick Kavanagh, who grew up up the road from me. Hopefully it will be the home of Sam Maguire if all things move in the right direction on Saturday. I am sure I will see Deputy Carthy there. These are just some of the reasons to come to Monaghan. The work ongoing by Fáilte Ireland and its local partners can only strengthen the tourism sector within the county and continue to attract visitors to this special place.

I am also pleased that my Department and its agencies are so supportive of cultural activity in Monaghan. This includes the support of the Arts Council and my Department for the operation of the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, which plays such an important role in the cultural life of the island. In addition, last April my Department supported Féile Oriel, a three-day festival of traditional Irish music in Monaghan town. Under my Department’s small-scale local festivals funding scheme last year, there was support for the Muckno Mania Festival. I hope to announce the successful applicants under this year’s scheme shortly and anticipate that there will be further support for festivals in Monaghan in 2023.

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