Marie Moloney (Labour)

I welcome the Minister to the House and hope this is the first of many times that he will visit us. I also hope that he will bring good news every time he comes here. His is the one Department from which we can expect to have good news in these bad times. I will not bore the House by repeating all the initiatives that have already been put in place because Members are well aware of them. I wish to support the motion in the light of ongoing job losses, including the absence of industrial, financial, commercial and construction employment all over Ireland. Unemployment in these sectors is prevalent in my own county of Kerry where, in recent weeks, job losses have been announced at Fexco in Killorglin and Aetna in Castleisland. The focus of recovery should be brought back to tourism, which is the one industry that has grown since the foundation of the State.

Ireland's quality scenery, our renowned hospitality, good quality food and top class accommodation attract tourists, so we must protect the tourism product upon which we depend so much. This can be done by maintaining a balance between protecting the natural environment and ensuring that tourism develops in a sustainable manner. Ireland has always been promoted as a clean, green tourism destination, famous for its landscapes, environment, natural habitats, bio-diversity and culture.

Tourism has the capacity and the stock to achieve further growth, while indigenous sectors, especially farming and traditional manufacturing, face difficulties. The economic importance of tourism cannot be understated, in conjunction with consumer spending, employment and tax revenue. While the recent jobs initiative will be a major boost to the tourism industry, we cannot ignore the fact that tourist numbers are down, with the biggest decline being in the British market. The recent visit of Queen Elizabeth II will have highlighted Ireland in a very positive way among people in the UK and elsewhere, as did the visit of President Barack Obama. Hopefully, we will soon see the benefits of those visits with a welcome injection of much needed tourism revenue.

Tourism is a key source of income in rural areas, so it is imperative that we retain and enhance our regional airports. It is vital that the PSO be retained for those airports. In this day and age it is all about convenience, so the more flights we can put in place, the more attractive and attainable rural Ireland becomes for foreign visitors, thus creating an obvious spin-off. Meanwhile, more and more Irish people are opting for "staycations" and it is a known fact that domestic tourists spend four times more than their foreign counterparts. While Fáilte Ireland should be commended for its 2011 Discover Ireland promotional campaign, much work remains to be done in marketing the country abroad, particularly in new, emerging markets.

Activity holidays are becoming increasingly popular and each county is developing facilities to cater for this demand. The county partnerships are proactive in enhancing, promoting and creating employment in such areas and are always open to developing new initiatives in the tourism sector.

Ireland is a surfer's paradise, a golfer's dream and a fisherman's haven with limitless potential. It is our duty to ensure that this potential, which we are capable of, is reached. We must continue to extend the famous céad míle fáilte to the whole world. In the words of a recent famous visitor, President Obama, is feidir linn.