Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I highlight the announcement this morning by the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Sport, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, of further funding of €320,000 which has been approved by Fáilte Ireland under its national festivals and events programmes for 11 key national festivals and events that will take place this year. Two of these events are the Galway International Film Fleadh which will receive €20,000 and the Galway Oyster Festival which will receive €30,000. This comes in a week when Galway has been awarded the purple flag award, a prestigious accolade given to cities and towns which meet or surpass the standards of excellence in managing their evening and night-time economy. With this award, Galway has proved to be a friendly, entertaining and enjoyable place to visit, in which regard our festivals play a significant role. That is why this funding is critical. The benefits to Galway of receiving this accolade are wide-ranging, including attracting domestic and overseas visitors and lower crime rates. The city met all 30 criteria and was particularly commended for showing strong evidence of leadership and a high incidence of business engagement. Galway's alcohol strategy which was put in place to prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm was recommended as a role model of joined up strategic thinking. It is a very good initiative which, I understand, is being rolled out across the country.This announcement is further good news for Galway. In November it was awarded the designation UNESCO City of Film, while last year it was awared the designation Best Overall Micro-City in Europe by the Financial Times. Ireland's success as a tourism destination is based on our visitors' experiences, in which regard funding for festivals plays an important role.