David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

One of the most important aspects of tourism is repeat business. We will not get repeat business if our attitude is clearly seen as being callous and exploitative. We should ask not just what they can do for us but also what we can do for them. Our history is not always good in this regard. I had long correspondence, as many other Members of both Houses will have had, with people in Argentina, where there is a very strong Irish connection. A large number of people live all around Argentina, but very concentrated in Buenos Aires, where they have their own newspaper, The Southern Star. Many people have a very sentimental connection. As I am sure the Minister knows, if one goes to Buenos Aires or anywhere in Argentina, one will meet Irish people whose families have been there for more than 100 years. They speak classical Spanish beautifully and when they speak in English they have Westmeath or Wexford accents. That is how strong the connection is. However, when they wanted to get a connection here in terms of some little certificate to prove their Irish ancestry or Irish citizenship through grandparents or something, we just rebuffed them. We were just not interested and they were very badly hurt. So I believe we need to treat these people with the maximum respect and give them the best we possibly can in terms of experience.

We need to think outside the box. We need to think what we could do really well. As a consumer, I think farmhouse holidays are wonderful. They are the best value one can get and one gets really good produce as well as getting to see the Irish landscape and so on. We also have the festivals, including some of the most significant such as the Wexford Opera Festival the Minister mentioned. It was started by amateurs, motivated by a love of the culture and is now international. Nobody thought a small fishing town, Wexford, would produce this international thing but the people there saw a niche market for operas by famous composers that were rarely produced. It is absolutely wonderful.

There is also the important question of heritage - the built part of the environment. The Minister needs to talk to his colleagues about the property tax. What will we do to the great houses of Ireland - the few that are left - if we assess them for property tax? It will destroy them. We have done this before and we have very little left there. For instance, Birr Castle not only has the magnificent architecture and the beautiful parkland but also the contribution to science that we never plug. We need to bring scientists here and tell them we have imagination. That is what characterises us as a people and it is not just in culture, but also in the sciences. We had the largest telescope in the world for many years and invented the steam turbine. That is just one family and one house. The property tax could crucify these people and those houses will not have the same interest unless the people are living there.

The Minister indicated this - I am not sure whether it was done consciously. In America they deliberately placed the television advertisement during "Downton Abbey" because that is what the Americans are interested in. We need to have that product there for them. People who have spent a lot of time in list 1 houses should not be punished as they were in the British days for improving their property. We had the Queen's visit, the Eurovision and the visit by President Obama, where we placed immensely valuable television images. It is important that we do that. I would not write off any of these things. Advertising is very significant.

On genealogy, Laois will host the Fitzpatrick clan rally in July. These are very important as we are all part of a tribe and we should use clan rallies. I salute the Minister for what he had to say.

I wish to speak briefly about James Joyce. A Government-appointed representative told us that the James Joyce Centre could not survive.