Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Moynihan for his question. Absolutely, I am open to working with the Deputy on that. Maybe we could set up a meeting with Fáilte Ireland to see what is specifically being done for the Gearagh to ensure that the message about its natural beauty is being advertised. Údarás na Gaeltachta and Fáilte Ireland met recently to form a strategic partnership. They have signed a memorandum of understanding detailing their commitment to the area, particularly on the Gaeltacht side. In the context of the Deputy's specific question, I would be happy to set up a meeting to try to see how we can unlock the potential that exists.

One of the key issues in tourism that I am focusing on is trying to see how we get performance indicators into the tourism policy. We are spending a great deal of money. The sector is probably worth €8 billion or €9 billion at present. It has stabilised. It has got back to where it was prior to Covid. We had extraordinary growth last year. It stabilised this year, and it presented some challenges. In relation to a number of matters, including the cap, enhancements to the business sector and growing the SMEs, it will provide a strong value offering. I suggest that we could have a meeting with Fáilte Ireland on the matter to see where we might take things from there.

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