Frank Feighan (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for coming into the House to deal with a serious situation that has occurred. I am chairperson of Lough Key Forest Park action group. Many years ago this park was thriving and was one of the major tourism attractions in Ireland but over the years insufficient investment was made in the park. We have worked closely with Roscommon County Council, and Coillte, to upgrade the facilities in the park and two years ago we got a grant of €6 million, for which we are thankful. An €8 million development project is going ahead in the park but as the Minister is aware, unless we expand and have more investment, the park will not survive. The action group, which represents a wide range of opinion in the area, was pleased by a proposal by the Newfound Consortium, one of whose members is the Canadian company, the Newfound Developers Group, to develop a 100-bedroom hotel, leisure and conference facilities and lodges in the park. We worked very closely with the company, which chose the correct way to proceed with development. It worked very closely with the local community, took its views on board and liaised very closely with Roscommon County Council.

Objections to the development were lodged. I acknowledge that every person has the right to object to a development. However, we were dismayed when An Bord Pleanála refused to grant planning permission for the development. I am incensed because we worked very closely with the council and the Newfound Developers Group, which developed the extremely successful Humber Valley golf and ski resort in Canada, in which it has invested Canadian $1 billion. The Newfound Consortium looked at Lough Key Forest Park because it is very close to Knock Airport from where its customers could travel to the development. The Newfound Developers Group, which has developments in Canada, St. Kitts and Nevis and other locations around the world, is a tried and trusted operation.

There has been much discussion about tourism and ecotourism. However, one report into tourism reveals a regional imbalance in tourism in Ireland. Tourism is, thankfully, increasing but is becoming increasingly concentrated on the east coast of the country. It is increasingly difficult to attract tourist developments to the west. This development was the best window of opportunity to attract tourists to the west.

The developers and architects met with the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Taoiseach and the chief archaeologist from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, who was quite satisfied that the development was in keeping with the environment. We were very concerned when we discovered that the Department lodged an objection with An Bord Pleanála; an objection which damned this project. Was this objection lodged on behalf of an individual in the Department or did it reflect the Department's, and, most important, the Minister's, thinking? If this objection reflected the thinking of the Minister, it sends out the message that tourism in the west does not matter. It also sends a message to would-be investors, who could provide a much-needed facility, that they are not wanted. I hope this matter will be clarified because it is very important.