Terry Brennan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support the good wishes expressed for David Begg, general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. I worked with him for years in the ESB and many years ago I knew he would make it to the top as a professional trade unionist. I wish him success and good health in his retirement.

Last year was a great year for tourism - we all acknowledge the success of The Gathering - but we all wonder whether we can improve on it. I believe 2014 has been the best year for tourism in the past ten years. Thousands of jobs have been created. The recent American football game in Croke Park between Penn State and the University of Central Florida was another tremendous success and around 25,000 American supporters came to Dublin to spend a week or ten days here. I spoke to some of these people this morning as they had returned for their annual summer holidays. It was a major sporting success and we should aim for an annual American football college game in Ireland so we become the European capital of college football.

I congratulate Dún Laoghaire golf club on the announcement that it will host the 2016 Curtis Cup, which is the equivalent of the Ryder Cup between Great Britain and Ireland and the United States. The Ryder Cup takes place this weekend in Scotland. I believe in announcing good news and it has also been revealed that the world amateur ladies' and men's golf championships will be held in Carton House, County Kildare, on successive weeks in 2018. This is a significant boost for Kildare and the country as thousands of visitors will attend.

We should continue to pursue opportunities to bring international sporting events to Ireland. We are bidding for the Rugby World Cup and it has been said that we have the necessary facilities and infrastructure. I am confident that this tournament will come to Ireland in the next seven or eight years.