Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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It is timely that this Topical Issue matter on the development of tourism facilities at Malin Head is selected for discussion today because on Monday night there was a gathering of tourism and business leaders from the Inishowen area in Ballyliffin to discuss how we can bring forward the tourism product in Inishowen and in particular on Malin Head. The consensus is that Malin Head as a tourist destination and as a location which is known across the country and can be easily marketed and as a location which has so much to offer in terms of its scenic attributes is something we need to focus on and develop. By pushing that, other tourism industries and businesses which feed off the tourist industry can benefit from increased visitor numbers.

Significant work has gone into this in recent years. I have raised it here on several occasions and the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ring and I have discussed it before. Progress on the development of facilities there has slowed down over the past year and it needs to be kick-started once more. There was a programme for a three-phase development laid out, phase 1 of which has been completed by putting in pathways on the headland and lay-bys on the roads running up to it to improve access. Phase 2 was to have been the development of toilet and car parking facilities and phase three was the development of a wider project. Very significant work has gone into it. The Malin Head Community Association has worked very hard, as has the local community. Inishowen Tourism has pushed the matter. I commend my colleague, Councillor Martin McDermott, who has been very active in pushing this as an issue and Donegal County Council which has worked closely with Bord Fáilte on achieving what has been achieved now and putting forward plans. Planning permission is in place for new car parking facilities and for toilets.

There was an agreement between Donegal County Council and Fáilte Ireland that, on the granting of planning permission and completion of that process, Fáilte Ireland would then follow on by giving consideration to funding that aspect with a view to continuing the work towards the wider development of a final project to have a tourist attraction at Malin Head. I ask the Minister of State to provide Members with an update on phase 2 of that development and, in particular, on the intention of Fáilte Ireland to fund the car parking and toilet facilities. Fáilte Ireland has done tremendous work on the Wild Atlantic Way that offers great potential. There has been really good development and investment at the Slieve League cliffs, Glencolmcille, as well as good investment in Fanad Head lighthouse which has been improved significantly and where a tourist facility has been developed. However, it is also necessary to have such investment at Malin Head where it is needed greatly. The rest of the peninsula and the tourism sector are waiting on it in order that everyone can try to promote it as a product to attract additional visitors to the area. I hope the Minister of State will be able to provide Members with an update on where matters stand and what progress is being made.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I will make a few points before turning to my script.

I am glad that the tourism interest groups are meeting in County Donegal because the Deputy who comes from that county is aware there was a time when visitors travelled as far as Bundoran and went no further. If the Wild Atlantic Way has done one thing, it has certainly brought tourists into County Donegal. Those involved in the tourism trade tell me it has been one of the greatest developments ever in terms of tourism in County Donegal. I have come under a lot of pressure from my two colleagues, the Minister of State, Deputy Joe McHugh, and Deputy Dinny McGinley, who have been providing me with updates on what is happening. I heard there were some complaints the other night about developments by the Government in County Donegal, but I will be responding to them within the week because I intend to issue a press release outlining what the Government has delivered, not only in the past year but also in the past five years since it took office. I can assure the Deputy that it has invested substantially in County Donegal.

I again thank the Deputy for raising the matter. The Wild Atlantic Way is Ireland's first long distance touring route. It stretches along the Atlantic coast from the Deputy's native county to west Cork. As he is aware, Malin Head is a key signature point on the Wild Atlantic Way and a key stop on the route. While it is one of three signature points on the Wild Atlantic Way in County Donegal, it is of the greatest importance, marking the most northerly signature point on the route, and already an iconic location.

While my Department provides funding for Fáilte Ireland for investment in tourism projects such as the Wild Atlantic Way, it is not involved in developing or managing such projects. The allocation of grant funding is a matter for the board of Fáilte Ireland. Funding was provided in 2014 and 2015 for capital investment in the development of the route. This funding was initially directed towards route signage and developing the 160 discovery points along the route. Last year Fáilte Ireland and Donegal County Council completed the Wild Atlantic Way signage programme in the Inishowen area. Fáilte Ireland has also worked with Donegal County Council on a programme of remedial works for the Wild Atlantic Way discovery points. There are 36 such points in County Donegal, including ten in Inishowen, and this work is 90% complete in the county. The next stage of infrastructural development to be rolled out along the Wild Atlantic Way is the installation of photo points and interpretation panels at all 188 discovery and embarkation points, of which there are 36 in County Donegal.

Both Fáilte Ireland and I appreciate fully the need for State investment in tourist facilities at Malin Head. Fáilte Ireland regards Malin as a priority location for investment. It should be noted that any development work at the site must also enhance the visitor experience at the location and allow for better visitor flow, as well as ensuring the protection of the natural environment. I am sure the Deputy will agree that in taking forward this development, both Fáilte Ireland and Donegal County Council must have regard to the sensitivity of the landscape. It is important to note that Fáilte Ireland recently completed a strategic environmental assessment of the full Wild Atlantic Way initiative. Given the environmental sensitivity of Malin Head, completing this assessment was essential prior to awarding funding to Donegal County Council to develop plans for the site.

In respect of the Malin Head discovery point, an application for phase 2, car park and toilets, has been submitted to Fáilte Ireland by Donegal County Council and is due to be considered by the authority next week. I am sure the Deputy is aware of this as, Deputy Dinny McGinley and the Minister of State, Deputy Joe McHugh, are aware of it. In conjunction with this, the Fáilte Ireland authority will consider awarding technical assistance to Donegal County Council for the further development of a more comprehensive and integrated plan that will reflect the significance of Malin Head. While the route is still in the process of being developed fully, the Wild Atlantic Way has become a central part of our overseas promotion. That said, given how long it takes to get on the international travel map, I expect it will be this year and next year before the route receives the recognition it needs and deserves among potential tourists.

I am happy that the Wild Atlantic Way project will bring more overseas visitors to County Donegal and, in particular, Inishowen. The Government, Fáilte Ireland and I are committed to tourism and balanced regional development and seek to make the most of what each part of the country has to offer. I am sure we can now move forward to realise the potential Malin Head has to offer.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Good stuff.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. On his first point about tourists traditionally not travelling north into County Donegal beyond Bundoran, he will be familiar with this, coming from County Mayo which has received many tourists during the years. Historically, it has been attributable to the Troubles, but it is stilla factor to this day. Additional emphasis must be placed on trying to ensure County Donegal attracts more tourists and that they are spread across the county. The Wild Atlantic Way is a good initiative with which to do this and it is to be hoped numbers will improve in future years. However, it must be backed up by marketing. It must also be backed up with investment. I greatly welcome the update on progress the Minister of State has provided for Members on the phase 2 development at Malin Head. It also is welcome that a grant funding application is going to Fáilte Ireland from Donegal County Council and is to be decided on by next week. Fáilte Ireland and Donegal County Council have worked closely together to agree on the phases and, under phase 2, on the process for the provision of car parking and toilet facilities for which the necessary application will be made. This proposal should be given good consideration and I am hopeful it will. The important point is the proposal is now being put forward for consideration. When this topic was last discussed in the Chamber, Fáilte Ireland did not intend to consider investing in phase 2, for which planning permission is now in place, until agreement was reached on wider plans. It is greatly to be welcomed that the application will now be considered. I urge the Minister of State to continue to push for this proposal and investment in the Wild Atlantic Way. I will work with other political representatives and the local community to urge Fáilte Ireland to give the proposal the best consideration possible, as I am sure it will, when the application for investment comes before it next week in order that the facilities for which the grant application has been made will be in place by next summer and that an improved tourism product will be available.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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All Members will be heading there and I hope the Deputy will be there to bring them around.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy need not worry; I will be there to welcome him.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State to conclude.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Deputies Charlie McConalogue and Dinny McGinley, as well as the Minister of State, Deputy Joe McHugh, have been in contact with me on a regular basis. We are all aware that the board meeting will take place next week and that the project is up for funding. I hope the board will make whatever-----

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister of State be at the board meeting?

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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No, but I will be keeping an eye on it from outside. As for the Deputy's comments on County Donegal, I expect him to issue a statement next week to tell the people of County Donegal what the Government has delivered in the tourism sector. I want him to do that because there has been a bit of-----

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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We know. Every hotelier in the county is saying he or she has never had a year like it.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Deputy, please, give the Minister of State a chance to reply?

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Moreover, they like it and hope it will continue.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Come on; the Minister of State only has one minute in which to reply.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I expect the Deputy and the Minister of State, Deputy Joe McHugh, to outline what has been delivered.

To respond to the questions asked by Deputy Charlie McConalogue, he is quite correct: it is about marketing and that it will take a few years to have the Wild Atlantic Way in included in the itinerary by people from around the world. I have received criticism everywhere I have visited because I have promoted the Wild Atlantic Way. The Wild Atlantic Way, in particular, constitutes a great offering from County Donegal to County Mayo to west Cork. It is one of the greatest things to have happened in the tourism sector.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State launched the first one in County Donegal.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I did and I can tell the Deputy that the Wild Atlantic Way has really taken off. That is why it was necessary to develop the Ireland's Ancient East initiative and then the Dublin proposition.

The most successful of them all has been the Wild Atlantic Way, a great initiative and something I promoted at Government level. I have given a commitment, as Minister of State, that the funding will be provided to finish that project. It will take time and we have run into difficulties with other agencies. My Department and Fáilte Ireland are having discussions with the other Departments. As the Deputy will know, with all these sensitive areas, we have very sensitive people monitoring what is going on, so we have to be very careful.

I am very proud of what has happened in tourism over the past four and a half years. In the first ten months of this year we have had an increase of almost 13% in the number of visitors. Almost 8 million people will have entered into the country this year. This has not been the best year in the past four or five years, but the best year ever. We will try to increase that by a further 4% next year.

More than 220,000 people are employed in tourism. It is a great product. As Deputies McConalogue and McGinley know, we can get people employed in every corner of County Donegal and every corner of rural Ireland. That is the great thing about tourism. I am committed to rebalancing and trying to get as much infrastructure into rural areas to try to create the jobs and give people the opportunity to work in their own area.

We have a great facility there. Anybody can say what they like but the Wild Atlantic Way has been the greatest initiative since the foundation of the State.