Terry Brennan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is likely to be a record year for tourism. Recent CSO data show that the number of overseas visitors to Ireland in the first five months of the year increased by 12.1% compared with the same period last year. Thankfully, growth trends show no sign of abating. If the trend continues, it will be a record year for overseas visitor numbers. This will be the fifth consecutive year of growth in visitor numbers, with benefits for every part of the country. Up to the end of May, there were just over 3 million overseas visitors. The number of visitors from North America increased by 13.6%; from mainland Europe, by 14%; and from the rest of the world, by 13%. I am happy to say there was an increase of 10.1% in the number of visitors from Great Britain, with 1.33 million visitors so far this year. Tourism Ireland in promoting Ireland as an island has helped to increase the figures.I congratulate Tourism Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Donohoe, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ring, on the part they are playing in increasing our visitor numbers. I look forward to further growth during the remainder of the year.