Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State. We agree with the terms of the Bill. From experience we have all seen Fáilte Ireland and its predecessor, Bord Fáilte, make an exceptional contribution to the development of tourism here. Likewise, Tourism Ireland, covering the whole island, is doing exactly the same. Many would say tourism is the jewel in our crown because it has been so good to Ireland. It has generated finance from visitors and through domestic spending. We see an increase in domestic spending, particularly during the current recession when people are spending their holidays and money at home which keeps revenue within the State.

Tourism is not a single entity or product. It is made up of diverse and varied elements which make Ireland attractive as a tourist destination. When we speak about sustaining and developing the industry, we must remember the number of players involved. We need to give all of them a voice, which is what we are doing today. We are endeavouring to reflect this and echo what we are hearing on the ground.

It was sad to see that our value for money rating had dropped from 62% to 28% in 2009. However, we did not need a survey to show us this. We felt it ourselves and knew that was the position. We might not have been killing the goose that laid the golden eggs, but neither were we feeding it too well or looking after it. We must continue to be cautious in this regard. I know of a particular part of the country in which there is a car park at a tourist attraction. If I park there for half an hour, I pay €4.80. Tourists are not as conscious of the price of large items - they pay hundreds of euro in getting here or on accommodation - but they are aware of a small element such as that car parking charge, which does not seem right. That is what sticks with a visitor. In the same way, discourtesy will strike a chord. We travel abroad and know that is what we remember. We notice if a waiter pulls away a plate too quickly or does not answer a question. There are large and small issues. At one time it was suggested visitors to Ireland should be allowed to travel free on public transport, which was tried. However, a charge of €4.80 for parking runs counter to the spirit of making the visitor feel welcome in small ways. We probably need to keep our eye very carefully on this aspect.

All Senators will speak about their own regions. I will mention Shannon Airport. When we lost the American flights to Shannon Airport, we undermined tourism in that entire region. I come from Cashel which has the Rock of Cashel. We can remember when the flow of visitors from Shannon Airport extended to the entire region. We cannot go back to that time, but I will make a suggestion to the Minister of State. Could Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland not engage in advance with tour operators? The tour operators make the decisions for a major part of the business, usually 12 months or more in advance. They often send their representatives to Dublin only. Every time I ask a taxi driver how is the tourism doing, he or she tells me it is wonderful. That tells me it must be good on the ground. However, that is the case in Dublin all year round because there are so many activities outside the four peak months.

We must be fair to the rest of Ireland. In the case of my region, we took away the advantage of flights to Shannon Airport. I accept that Fáilte Ireland cannot make tour operators visit a particular part of the country. It is for ourselves to do this. We must make tour operators aware that if they come to our area, they will find top-class hotel accommodation, attractions and good food, all of which are available, but tourists must be encouraged to come. In that context, we would become much more competitive.

I am a little worried that some hotels are becoming too competitive. In the recession they are reducing prices simply to have cash-flow. In such cases, banks are very often in the background and there is a danger that standards will be lowered. I recently visited a hotel which was obviously in examinership or receivership. No light was evident in the window. When I walked in, I found that the lights in the lobby had been switched off. My wife and I were the only two diners in the restaurant. The person serving was also doing the cooking. This had been a good hotel in its day. If we are not careful, I can see standards dropping in the current price auction. Many hoteliers have said they do not have a problem with the banks, are not in NAMA and are doing good business, but they cannot do it at the rates the bank hotels are charging. That might seem a strange point to make in this debate, but I am looking at the long term.