Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

As we all know, Waterford Crystal was allowed to close recently with the loss of more than 600 jobs. When the company was sold it was decided that the showrooms and the tourism part of the business would be kept open. More than €100,000 has been spent on refurbishing the showrooms. I understand that on Tuesday last CIE Tours management sent an e-mail to the company informing it that CIE Tours would not bring tour buses to Waterford Crystal this year. That was done without the courtesy of a telephone call or a meeting to discuss the matter.

The decision will impact severely on hotels, restaurants and bed and breakfasts. It is another blow to the people of Waterford and the region. More than 300,000 people visited those showrooms in recent years. The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism is from Waterford but he appears to be asleep on the job. The Minister for Transport, who has responsibility for CIE Tours, appears to have fallen asleep at the wheel as well. I seek a reversal of the CIE Tours decision as a matter of urgency. If that is the way the Government is protecting jobs and allowing a semi-State body to operate then God help us, we will have a lot more people unemployed.