Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail)

I am sure Roscommon is a good tourism area also.

I welcome the extension of the time to 10 p.m. from 1 May to 30 September. Like other Senators, I believe it should be extended to a year round basis. I hope the Minister will review that going forward. The Minister said the extension will facilitate parents, particularly around the holiday season, but it will also help to address some of the negativity within the tourism sector, particularly on the part of foreign tour operators. I am aware an effort is being made by some tour operators outside Ireland to label Ireland as unfriendly to tourists because of the smoking ban and the early closing time. That is important from the point of view of national as well as foreign tourism. It is also important to help maintain the fabric and infrastructure of our tourism sector, and pubs and restaurants do that. As Senator Bohan and others said, there is a real threat to the livelihoods of some of those businesses. From talking to business people over the summer it appears that while tourist numbers nationally are up, the spend is down dramatically. We have to monitor that problem because the livelihoods of some of those people are in jeopardy.

While the smoking ban has had a positive effect, it has also affected the businesses concerned. In some respects it is now more acceptable to bring young children into pubs for a meal because many of the publicans have altered their business model and are now investing in quality kitchens and a good food facility as part of their businesses. These areas are becoming more attractive, therefore, to the sector of people who like to eat out in that they facilitate people with young families. It will be interesting to see how the Minister deals with that aspect when he brings forward the codification Bill because there are many licences available, particularly in light of the change in model with which many businesses are dealing, and the demand for the standard pub is no longer as relevant as it was previously. This is a challenge to the tourism sector, an area we must examine, because while tourist numbers are up the spend is down. That is causing hardship and has the capacity to have a long-term effect on the overall sector if the level of infrastructure is not maintained, something about which I would be concerned.

In light of this I ask the Minister to consider extending the 10 p.m. limit to a year round basis to ensure the issues I have raised do not result in a weakening of the infrastructure. Effectively, we have a year round tourism industry. Easter, St. Patrick's weekend, Hallowe'en and Christmas are family holidays. People like to spend them in the rural areas from which they come, as do those returning from overseas. Social life begins a little later in rural areas. People do not go to the pub at 6 p.m. as they may do in the cities on their way home from work. At 8.30 p.m. or 9 p.m. there are very few people in pubs in rural Ireland but by 11 p.m. there is a crowd. Perhaps that is part of what the Minister is trying to do in terms of the change of culture but it is a slow process.

In regard to foreign tourism, the school terms abroad are different and we must ensure we cater for that in whatever way possible. I thank the Minister for the work he has been doing in this area.