Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as teacht isteach sa Teach anocht chun freagra a thabhairt ar an cheist a leag mé síos. I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. The gist of the motion is that I was contacted by Slane Community Forum and Slane Local Heroes about the Slane Hub. It is an office which serves a multi-function purpose. It is a meeting point and an information point for the community and tourists. The Slane Hub developed from the Local Heroes initiative begun around the country by our colleague, Senator Quinn. The Slane Local Heroes initiative has been one of the more successful ones. It is fair to say that since it got up and running the village has transformed from every point of view. It looks fabulous and there is a great community spirit, which always existed but has been very much enhanced, and more tourists are coming to the town as well. The Slane Community Forum won a runner-up prize at the national Pride of Place event held in Belfast. It was joint runner-up with the New Ross Quayside Redevelopment. In this particular year that is an indication of the calibre of the community in Slane and the tourism product it offers. The special award was for a tourism diaspora initiative. Great efforts are being made to attract members of the diaspora to Slane. My colleague, Councillor Wayne Harding, organised a gathering for former workers of the mill in Slane. That was one of the very successful initiatives this year which brought some people home from abroad for the project.

The Slane Hub has applied to Tourism Ireland to be registered as an official tourist office. Unusually, as I understand it, they are not looking for funding. They just want the official designation to be featured on the website and to be automatically included in information provided to tourists. The office is up and running and people are doing a fabulous job already in providing significant tourism information to people. It would enhance the service provided immensely, and it would enhance the status of the village of Slane, if the office were designated as an official tourist office. Approaches were made to Bord Fáilte and they were somewhat rebuffed and told that it could not happen. I felt it was a case of bureaucracy gone a little wrong. The Slane Hub is offering something to the State and the State should be grateful as it will only enhance the tourism product of the village, region, county and country. I urge the Minister of State to be practical and to accede to the request which I understand will be at no cost to the State.