Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will be very brief because I know the Minister has other engagements. The success of our tourism product was not by accident but because of Government policy. Consciously deciding to have a 9% VAT rate and eliminating the travel tax were policy decisions made by Government that have yielded tremendous success over recent years, and long may it continue.

Senator Conway mentioned the Wild Atlantic Way. We were a little disappointed in Waterford that it was not continued to Waterford because we are on the Atlantic as well, but I believe there are plans to continue that from a tourism point of view.

We are having great success in promoting Waterford with the Viking Triangle but sports tourism is very important and we need to finish our sports complex at the institute of technology. It is almost complete but we need about €1.5 million to host major international events, which would be very beneficial. In terms of the greenway, it is almost two-thirds complete but we need to complete it. I will conclude because I know the Minister is in a hurry.