Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

I compliment the Leader on making this debate possible. On the Order of Business, Members regularly request a debate on tourism. We also like to think of this as being on an ongoing basis. It should not be a once-off debate. It is important that we keep up to date with developments.

The tourism industry has met challenges over the years. Bord Fáilte did a fantastic job of work with very limited staff and exceptionally dedicated people. In the local regional tourism organisations and tourist offices amazing work was done by a small number of people. With the new development of Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland we are able to reflect the progress we made with the Good Friday Agreement. In the context of tourism, that agreement should not be underestimated. The Troubles in the North were one of the biggest challenges we met in Ireland. Those of us who travelled abroad at that time, especially to America, met numbers of people who asked us if Ireland was safe to visit. After an exceptional and costly marketing campaign by Bord Fáilte an incident might take place which would be reported throughout the world. That was an amazing challenge. Even before the Good Friday Agreement we could see improvements, although we saw many setbacks. The establishment of Tourism Ireland has meant that marketing the whole island is much easier. There are interactive attractions on both sides of the Border. It is important that they be highlighted.

Yesterday, I met a delegation from Derry. They are interested in holding the Fleadh Cheoil in Derry in 2013, when Derry will be the UK city of culture. They made the point that people are now visiting the North to see where the various events unfolded. There is a message for us here about the historic sites we have. Excellent infrastructure has been put in place. We talk about the recession, but we should not ignore the fact that the Government did the right things at the right time when it had the money. Development at tourist attractions, man-made and otherwise, is central to our tourism industry.

Over the past eight or nine years, there has been a tendency to focus more on Dublin than on the rest of the country. I remember a time when large numbers came in to Shannon Airport and virtually remained in the Shannon region. Five or six counties used benefit from that business. That is changed, to some extent. I do not suggest an anti-Dublin marketing campaign but we need to restore the balance that existed previously.

Many discerning tourists come to Ireland. Some tourists come in very large groups but others come with very specialist interests. Those people in particular could be guided to other parts of Ireland, because there are things there for them. The other day I met a couple from St. Louis. The lady was the former chancellor of the university in St. Louis. She was absolutely beaming because she had free travel in Ireland. I compliment the Minister on this. These people would not be caught for a dollar but the mere recognition delighted them. They were heading to Killarney and they telephoned me from there. While I state an individual case, one can multiply it many times over. It indicates that peripheral things will often bring people to realise that Ireland is a country worth visiting. I thank the Minister for the free travel initiative. I have no doubt that when the couple I met go home, they will become part of our marketing campaign because they will talk about their free travel to their friends in St. Louis.

Senator Brady referred to bed and breakfast. We are particularly lucky that hotels are now learning to compete. That was vital. Prices now seem much more realistic, not just for visitors to Ireland but for Irish people holidaying at home, who are also important to the industry. Everyone is pleased at what hotels are offering, but there is a danger that the bed and breakfast sector will suffer in the process. Much work and investment has been put into bed and breakfast establishments and people of a certain age group have paid considerable personal attention to them. One will not find younger members of the family staying at home waiting for the telephone to ring but the people who generated that business in the past were very important. We should try to relieve the bureaucracy they face. I accept the need for health and safety regulations but the level of bureaucracy and its consequential costs are more than a person running a bed and breakfast can handle. Perhaps the Minister would order a survey of the bed and breakfast industry. While I am aware of the difficulties that can arise, would it not be nice if bed and breakfasts could avail of some form of licence to sell intoxicating liquor? That is one of the great challenges for the sector. An individual bed and breakfast will not sell a large volume but it would be more than a service and it might generate further business.

Hotels can be impersonal places to stay, particularly those which are not family run and we should not underestimate the public relations value of staying in somebody's home. I do not want to see bed and breakfasts disappear but I would not be surprised if statistics showed that up to 30% of them closed over the last two years. This is happening not just because of the recession but also due to challenges like bureaucracy.

We continually speak about the 1980s but the tourism sector has encountered challenges in every decade. I can hardly remember the recession of the 1980s but it was very different in many ways. We now have an infrastructure which is second to none. My friends who came from Derry yesterday noted that they look for the good roads in the Republic, whereas it was the other way around 20 years ago. We have a good rail system and great roads, hotels and attractions. We have much that we can build on.

Given tourism's decentralised nature, it can do more than any other industry to lift the spirits of the people. Even the remotest of places attract tourists. Any resurgence will lift the morale of communities throughout Ireland.

The Minister has spoken eloquently about cultural tourism on many occasions. She was completely correct to note that we will be 50% ahead if we can market a product to which we have exclusive rights. What we have is distinctive to us and well presented and because of our antiquity and connection with civilisation, there is much we can do with it. The mere fact of the richness of our cultural tourism gives us a head start. The Minister and her Department have been helping the industry to promote this area and it should be put centre stage in any future debate on tourism. Ag an deireadh, traoslaím leis an Aire. Tá sár-obair déanta aici agus spreagadh tugtha aici do gach éinne a bhaineann le cúrsaí turasóireachta. Le cúnamh Dé tiocfaidh feabhas ar an scéal diaidh ar ndiaidh.