John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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When Waterford's 147 km coastline was excluded from the Wild Atlantic Way initiative I then sought assurances from the Department that my constituency was not being left behind in what we all know is a highly competitive tourism market. In reply to a Priority Question last April, the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Michael Ring, told me that the Ancient East tourism proposition, which is built on an abundance of culture and heritage assets in the south east and midlands, would have a positive impact on overseas tourism in Waterford. At the time the Minister of State highlighted places such as the historic round tower in Ardmore, Ghaeltacht na Rinne, and the unique mining story of the Copper Coast, which is a superb and wonderful geopark, as assets that could be promoted under the Ancient East initiative. The Minister of State said that the Ancient East project could be a game-changer for Waterford. They were his exact words to me in the Dáil at the time.

The question we are asking in Waterford now is why it is one of the only counties involved in the Ancient East initiative that has not received specific funding in the first phase of the initiative, which totals approximately €1.8 million. Many of us feel that this is a snub to the city and county, in particular to the many people who make their living in the Waterford city and county tourism sector. Many of those people have been most patient after we were short-changed in the Wild Atlantic Way initiative. We were told that we would be looked after under the Ancient East initiative. In the debate on the Wild Atlantic Way, the Minister of State resorted to shouting and screaming like a hyena. That was recorded on local radio in Waterford so the exclusion of Waterford from the Wild Atlantic Way initiative did not do the Government or the Minister of State any good.

I understand that only the first phase of the investment has been made. Could the Minister provide a commitment that submissions from Waterford will receive funding in the second phase? Could he also indicate when the funding will be made available? For instance, will the Metal Man project in Tramore be considered under the second phase?

At the time, the Minister of State told me that the Wild Atlantic Way was born out of a need to address the dramatic decline in international visitors to Ireland, in particular in the west. However, I pointed out that Bord Fáilte’s figures show a drop in visitor numbers to the south-east region from 1.1 million in 2000 to fewer than 685,000 in 2010. That was one of the most dramatic drops in any region in the State. Accordingly, the Minister can understand why very many businesses and people in the tourism industry in Waterford are aghast that we were completely excluded from the Wild Atlantic Way and that funding was not made available to Waterford for the Ancient East initiative. In addition, the funding might not even be made available until the second tranche, which might only be made available next year. We do not know what Government will be in power then.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I spent a day in Waterford just before the summer when I had an opportunity to meet many of the people involved in tourism in Deputy Halligan’s county. In fairness to the Deputy, although I was aware of it, I acknowledge that I heard from them about their dissatisfaction and annoyance at Waterford not being able to participate in the Wild Atlantic Way initiative. Deputy Halligan is correct to say that the Ancient East is a new plan that is designed to make the most of all of the assets a county such as Waterford has to offer. From tourism promotion work I have done with Tourism Ireland, I am certain there is a huge appetite for the development and launch of a heritage and arts-based tourism campaign that will attract a new kind of tourist to this country who is not currently coming in the numbers we need.

I am aware of the challenge to which Deputy Halligan referred in his region. From my recollection of the figures on the number of people who visit the Deputy's county, the share of the revenue of all the money that is generated in tourism in the country that goes to the county is considerably below what would be warranted by the number of visitors to the county.

One of the reasons for that is the low number of bed nights in the county and in adjoining counties as compared to other parts of the country. The Wild Atlantic Way has sought to address that in one part of the country, while Ireland's Ancient East is seeking to address in another.

On the specific point the Deputy made on access to capital, the Viking triangle in Waterford City, which I had the opportunity to visit, received €10.5 million in capital funding alone from Fáilte Ireland. This appears to be very well invested in the centre of the city and I was extremely impressed by what I saw. In total, Waterford has now received just under €13 million in capital investment from Fáilte Ireland.

The Deputy's final point related to the consideration of applications from Waterford. I have discussed this matter with Fáilte Ireland and I learned that no application from the county was successful in gaining funding. As the Deputy will appreciate, I do not play a role in evaluating individual applications but I assure him that Fáilte Ireland is working with interests in the county to look at how applications can be strengthened so that they might be in a position to access funding in the near future.

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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Am I to take it that the Minister cannot give a commitment that we will obtain money for Ireland's Ancient East in the next tranche of funding? Some €10 million in State funding was given to the Viking triangle, which lies on the Ancient East trail. It is interesting that a couple of weeks later the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, suggested the capital would be invested in Youghal rather than Waterford, which was an astounding statement for him to make. I think the Minister of State is out of touch with what is happening in Waterford at this stage.

The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, referred to tourism figures. The objective of the Wild Atlantic Way was to carry out an assessment of where tourism figures were dropping and where initiatives could be put in place, with the necessary finance, to attract tourism. Ultimately, it is about attracting tourism and one of the ways to do that is to boost tourism initiatives in the area, which means the provision of finance. The visitor numbers, as the Minister will see, have dropped substantially from 1.1 million to fewer that 700,000 in a few years. This is why it was of paramount importance for us to obtain funding for the Wild Atlantic Way. That has not happened and now we are not going to receive any of the €1.8 million, or at least we will not do so now, and the Minister cannot definitively indicate whether in the near future - namely, January, February or next week - we will receive it. This will further undermine job prospects in Waterford, which the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation has acknowledged was one of the worst-hit areas in the past six years and where, a few weeks ago, he said there was a need to invest in tourism and to create jobs in the sector. One Minister is saying one thing and another tells us there is no money to invest in order that we can have substantive tourism and sustainable jobs in the area.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Halligan has a better appreciation of what work is under way in his county than I do but I visited Waterford and saw the work taking place in Tramore in the context of the development of surfing facilities to attract tourists who want outdoor holidays. I was hugely impressed by that. I saw the work the local authority is doing, with Government support, to develop the Deise greenway in Waterford and that was also hugely impressive. Regardless of whether the €10.5 million in funding came under the heading of Ireland's Ancient East - which it did not because it happened earlier in our term of office - €10.5 million is still €10.5 million. It is a very significant investment by Fáilte Ireland in the Deputy's city and it is money well spent because it will support the development of tourism.

In answer to the specific question on whether I could guarantee funding the answer is that I cannot. Fáilte Ireland made the decision. However, I am aware of the need for Waterford city and county to participate in Ireland's Ancient East and Fáilte Ireland is working to see how it can support businesses which put in applications which were unsuccessful on this occasion.