Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)

I support the call by my colleague, Senator Conway, for a debate with the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, about The Gathering in 2013. This event has huge potential to bring many hundreds of thousands of people to Ireland. It will be good for local communities and will revitalise them. It will certainly generate badly needed investment and spending. It is also a great opportunity for tourists to see the beauty of our country in all its guises. Linked to that, I welcome the announcement by the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Alan Kelly, that €7 million in additional funding is to be made available for cycle routes throughout the country. An additional 334 km of cycle ways are to be provided as part of the national cycle network. It is an indication that the Government is committed to promoting Ireland as a tourism destination-----