Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and am glad I was present to hear his speech because he said a number of things with which I agree. Looking at tourism through the lens of policy, people and place is wise. He also spoke about frameworks that his Department and the Government agencies were good at. I want to talk to him about the subject because there are areas that can be improved upon. That is the broad outline of where I wish to go.

The policy of 9% VAT was very wise. I supported it when I was on the Government side of the House and I still support it. I will slightly deviate by saying the policy of 9% VAT has helped tourism and has increased the potential of distributing wealth around the country through tourism but it should now be extended to businesses in rural areas. I refer to businesses located on a high street which pay rent and rates compared with online businesses which do not. These businesses give life to rural areas. I am talking about independent retailers which badly need oxygen. I have often thought that we should do something similar for independent retailers. A reduction in VAT would really help them.

I wish to touch on the following topics: the greenway, Thoor Ballylee, Cashel House Hotel and rates. This morning the Minister and I spoke about the greenway. I appreciate he has opened up the consultation process to include farmers from Athlone to Ballinasloe to Galway city. A greenway is a great distributor of wealth for tourism but putting it through productive farmland will not work. There is a way to achieve a greenway for Galway and to meet farmers' needs and that is to use the old N6 route, to make it safe and to use the coastline, all of which are all in public ownership, so the Minister will have no argument in that regard. I know he has reached the same understanding, namely, that we have to make the initiative work. I also know he wants the optimal use made of the money the Government invests in the greenway so I ask him to consider seriously using the old N6 route for the greenway.

I am the chair of the Yeats Thoor Ballylee Society. Thoor Ballylee is Yeats's former home in south Galway and is located near Gort. We opened the home for his birthday on 13 June and between 700 and 800 people attended. The Minister may not know that the venue has been closed by Fáilte Ireland since 2009 due to flooding. Fáilte Ireland does not want the property anymore. The Minister of State, Deputy Ring, gave me a licence for Thoor Ballylee last September so we could fund-raise and it was brilliant.