Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

We must treat surveys with some caution. The Minister of State made the point that this American Express survey is very unscientific. The World Economic Forum global competitiveness report must also be taken with a pinch of salt. We have low unemployment, an excellent financial situation and great strengths in our economy. If one goes back less than 20 years, we had fewer than 2 million visitors to this country annually. We now have well over 6 million and, despite a dip in 2001 and 2002 due to events beyond our control such as those of 11 September 2001 and the foot and mouth disease scare, we are back on a growth path of 6%.

A problem concerning the balance between Dublin and the other regions of the country must be addressed. I will play devil's advocate. For example, an article in today's The Irish Times makes a point that was also raised on the Order of Business. For 1,000 litres of automotive oil the cost is €992 here but in Britain or the North, which is one of our main markets for tourism, the cost is €1,320.60. This is a big difference.