Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I hope it will be a good draw for Ireland and that we will go to Poland rather than Ukraine. I have nothing against Ukraine, but the past ten years have created a history and empathy between Ireland and Poland and we have similar culture and background.

Once per month, I broadcast a programme for RTE called "The Irish Abroad". While wearing my broadcaster's hat last week, I interviewed a lady from the Irish Cultural Foundation, which is based in Poznan in western Poland. She has also been a Tourism Ireland representative in recent years. She is Polish and neither she nor her husband has Irish connections, but they started this initiative approximately ten years ago. Her comments were interesting. The Minister of State might be interested from a west of Ireland perspective. Families' visits to and from Ireland are statistically difficult to quantify, as they stay with family and friends rather than in hotels or other establishments. According to the woman, though, the number of family visits is growing in two particular areas. First, the pilgrimage market to, for example, Knock via its airport is becoming increasingly significant among Poles. Second, the angling market is proving significant. The lady in question is at the heart of the tourism industry and is promoting Ireland. Perhaps the Minister of State might take this information on board and make further inquiries. Like me, he has an interest in increasing the numbers visiting the west and north west, particularly given the region's angling. Will he comment on the level of investment in that market? He mentioned that onshore and lakeside facilities would be improved.

Regarding the visa waiver programme, Senator MacSharry's comments on China were interesting. Last week, newspapers reported the head of Brown Thomas in Ireland as saying that an increasing amount of its business in the past two years was from Chinese visitors. Will the Minister of State comment in this regard? The visitors are buying high-end jewellery and high fashion. Therefore, the Senator was right about them being wealthy.

I understand that some 16 countries are involved in the visa waiver programme, which has been geared towards people who will attend the Olympics. The Minister of State might clarify whether his Department and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation are pursuing job creation initiatives that would encourage business people who would visit London regardless, to extend their visits to Ireland. Deputy Kelleher, the former Minister of State with responsibility for trade, fought valiantly but unsuccessfully with the last Administration - I will make no apology for saying this - for the visa waiver programme that the current Government has since introduced. He argued that a businessman visiting London with an interest in travelling to Ireland could not come to Dublin to investigate job opportunities or job creation initiatives.

A businessman coming to London with an interest in coming to Ireland could not come to Dublin to examine job opportunities or job creation initiatives. However, he could go to Newry, five or six miles from the Border, with no problem because his visa extended to the United Kingdom. I know this is outside the brief of the Minister of State but I wonder if there are initiatives to encourage business people to come in and to extend their stay in Ireland with the possibility of job creation.

In the context of the capital investment programme, I welcome the walking and cycling routes. As a former chairman of Fáilte Ireland North West, it came to my attention that there are some 15 million people in the UK alone who subscribe to being walkers. They wish to take part in walking holidays and they do so mainly in the Lake District. This is a potentially huge number of people, and from the north west to Kerry in the south west we have the topography and geography suitable for an increase in the number of walking trails. Perhaps the Minister of State can comment on that.

Will any national lottery money be provided under the capital investment programme? I understand that the number of categories has been extended in recent months. I am putting this idea to the Minister of State out of the blue. Could any surplus in new categories be diverted to areas where there is a shortfall? Every Minister is trying to get as much out of the central Exchequer. The Slieve League proposal is wonderful and competes with the Cliffs of Moher. Anyone who has an opportunity to go to west Donegal should go there. Under the capital programme, the iconic attractions that are a priority for the north-west tourism region are Benbulben in Sligo and Glencar in Leitrim. I know that a significant amount of money has been given to Leitrim County Council under the watch of the Minister of State for the development of the Glencar waterfall, which is synonymous with Yeats. As chairman of Leitrim Tourism, I welcome these initiatives and want to let the Minister of State know that tourism is alive and well in Leitrim, as it is in other parts of the country.