Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State, who had responsibility for tourism in the previous Government, during which time it did very well. This is an important report and tourism is an important sector especially for employment and regional development. If the report had gone back to 1987 it would have shown that tourism numbers doubled between 1987 and 1990. They have doubled again from 1990 to the present. It is very encouraging that this year we appear to have had a 5% increase. Some people in the industry to whom I have spoken are very hopeful for the coming year, partly because the weather was so good in Ireland but was positively oppressive in some southern Mediterranean destinations. I even know a few people who had to come home early because the heat was too much for them.