Feargal Quinn (Independent)

I heard the Leader explain why she believes there is a difficulty. If the motion is acceptable to the Government side, from my point of view the amendment is acceptable. I thank Members for contributing to this positive debate and I wonder whether there should be a vote.

I tabled the motion because of the complacency that exists. Senators Mansergh and Ó Murchú referred to the fact that these surveys are not very scientific. I am aware from my experience in the grocery business that one always criticises surveys one does not like and one is thrilled when one is satisfied with the results of a survey. The problem is the headline in the newspaper, "Ireland is the world's second most expensive place to visit". When one comes out badly in the grocery business, one keeps quiet but those who come out well shout from the rooftops. Spain and other countries will shout from the rooftops about how expensive Ireland is. They will say that people should visit them rather than going to Ireland.

I was pleased to hear the Minister, Senator Morrissey and others say that the answer is not necessarily in the Government's hands. However, it can do something about national competitiveness. It announced today that there will be a new national consumer agency and that it will strengthen the Competition Authority. To a large extent, customers rule.

Senator O'Toole referred to the fact that the Government can do something about the whole question of red tape and regulatory analysis. He told a story about the toilets in a sandwich bar. Senator Henry referred to her experience of male and female toilets. When her husband went in the male door and she went in the female door, they met inside in one toilet. The Government should carry out an impact analysis on the effect of regulations coming before it. This also applies to the minimum wage, to which Senator John Paul Phelan referred. Some jobs exist at a certain level that do not exist at another level. If we have the highest minimum wage in the world, there is a danger that some services cannot be offered. Some years ago, when one pulled up for petrol, someone served it, but once the minimum wage came in, it was no longer possible to have someone serve petrol. It is not a great loss but it means that jobs for people who used to do this work no longer exist.

The debate will have been useful if it removes some of the complacency. The Minister of State gave figures on national competitiveness from 2003. I am not concerned about what happened in 2003. I am concerned about what is happening now. The Government should not be looking back by saying the figures were good two years ago. We must ensure we are competitive and do not become complacent. We must recognise that this challenge is in our own hands and is not necessarily in the hands of the Government.

An English visitor who came here recently went to a restaurant in Dublin and was surprised that the bill was quite expensive. When he got back home and examined his Visa bill, he was surprised the Dublin restaurant had charged him in sterling. I was not aware one could do this, but it happened. Because it was a London-based visa card, they were able to charge sterling or euro. This Dublin restaurant charged in sterling on the visa card. This person will not go back to that restaurant. He ate in a different restaurant the following night.

I welcome the debate tonight and thank the Senators who contributed. I hope we can remove the complacency that exists, not as a result of the survey, but as a result of the publicity it is likely to receive worldwide. I would like to see the tourism business in Ireland thrive in the future. Senator Henry said more Irish are now travelling abroad than there are tourists coming here. We spend more abroad than they spend with us, which is a serious reflection on this country. In other words, this is a tourism industry in which we are losing rather than gaining. This is a challenge about which we must do something and tonight's debate might help in some small way.