Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

I also welcome Senator Dearey to the House and wish him well in the years ahead. I am sure we will benefit greatly from his contributions.

I also support the calls made for a debate on banking, particularly on the availability of credit.

It was announced in Paris last week that the world rally championship would not return to Ireland in 2011. This was to be the largest sports event to take place in Ireland next year. When rounds of the world rally championship were held here in 2007 and 2009, they contributed over €100 million to the economy, attracted 600,000 visitors and were watched by 800 million people across the globe. That kind of promotion cannot be bought; neither can it be produced by the diplomatic corps, IDA Ireland or anybody else. In the light of the decision of the governing body of world motor sport not to hold a round of the championship here, a task force comprising representatives of the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Arts, Sport and Tourism, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland should be set up and chaired by a reprentative of the Tánaiste's office. If it were a business which produced revenue or promotional opportunities of the type to which I refer, we would be jumping up and down about its being moved elsewhere. I urge the Leader to arrange a debate on the matter. As part of such a debate, we could focus on sports tourism and what it has brought to the country and what it could bring here in the future. We could also discuss the tragedy of last week's decision to exclude Ireland as a host nation for one of the rounds of the world rally championship. I am seeking a debate on the matter because the main reason for our exclusion from the 2011 calendar is personality differences and bickering between those involved in Fáilte Ireland and Motorsport Ireland. It is inexcusable that such differences can have such detrimental effects on the economy.