Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Senators back to the House and commiserate with the Cathaoirleach and the people of County Mayo. The Mayo team gave a good performance but once again this was not its year.

The prospect of having a GAA way, as suggested by a previous speaker, is intriguing. If such an initiative were to enjoy even some of the success of the Wild Atlantic Way in generating tourism not only for County Clare but for the entire west coast, it will be a remarkable success. I ask the Government to increase the marketing budget for the Wild Atlantic Way in 2015 and subsequent years. The €10 million spent on marketing it abroad has had a significant impact on tourism. I am pleased to note that, for the first time ever, the Cliffs of Moher visitor experience in County Clare will have in excess of 1 million visitors this year. As one of our iconic tourism attractions, the centre's success is indicative of how tourism is performing overall. Surpassing 1 million visitors this year will augur extremely well for the tourism sector.

An action plan is needed to deal with a scourge that affects the Wild Atlantic Way from County Donegal to County Cork, namely, illegal dumping and the habit of leaving rubbish on beaches. The by-laws on litter are clearly not working. Either they are not sufficiently strong or they are not being enforced properly. It seems a high level of proof is required before prosecutions can proceed. We need to initiate a war on litter. I ask that the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government address the House on what action he can take to strengthen the law on litter and what resources he will provide to identify the culprits who are destroying our beaches. We have a wonderful country and a great tourism product. We must ensure the countryside is not littered.