Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein)

I second the Sinn Féin amendment. Ours is a small island of only 6 million people on the periphery of Europe, yet the Irish and Ireland are celebrated and known globally. For example, Cavan was the second most searched place in the world for accommodation earlier in the year because of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, which will take place again in August this year, as Senator Labhras Ó Murchú mentioned.

Senator Ó Murchú also referred to all-Ireland tourism. I am sure the Deputy First Minister, Mr. Martin McGuinness, would be more than willing to come to this Chamber to talk about all-Ireland tourism promotion, which is critical. Visitors and potential investors to this island do not differentiate between the North and South. They want to experience the Ring of Kerry in the same way as the Giant's Causeway. They want to examine the history and story, from Viking Waterford to the Rising in Dublin to the recent success of the peace process in Belfast. Visitors are attracted to Ireland by the good work of Tourism Ireland, which seeks to promote tourism to the island of Ireland as a whole.

However, the visitor experience once in Ireland is disjointed between Fáilte Ireland, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and the confusing and competing websites of Discover Ireland and Discover Northern Ireland. Tourists want a seamless, quality experience. They do not need or understand the confusing separate tourist infrastructure. The full absurdity of this situation is revealed, for example, when a tourist wants to book to stay in both Fermanagh and in Cavan and is sent to two different websites, which is an issue that needs to be addressed. We need to end this confusion and competition, which demonstrates duplication and is bad for the tourism industry and for tourists.

The Minister, Deputy Leo Varadkar, in his address asked what could be done to cut costs. Cutting duplication is one of the ways to do this. We need to be more efficient and effective to promote tourism to Ireland and within Ireland. A single, comprehensive, quality point of contact is what tourists require. A single body to co-ordinate and promote tourism, and to target resources away from duplication of administration and into promotion and development of tourism within the island of Ireland is what we need. This is what we are calling for in our amendment.