Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We have no hotel that can cater for a busload of people. A quarter of a million people come to the Rock of Cashel every year, yet there is no hotel in the town that can cater for a busload. The point I would make - I am not suggesting it is not inherent in the plan - is that infrastructure must be part of what we are working on.

Another item in the six points listed in the famous survey that was done is high-class evening entertainment of a high quality. That can be provided regardless of how small an area one is in, even if it is only in a local pub or a community hall. Not every town will have a big theatre, but it is the ambience, friendship and all of that which makes the impact. There is a small pub in Doolin, in County Clare, which people throughout the world seem to know. I remember an uilleann piper coming in from New York on one occasion who said he was going to Doolin - he had heard about Doolin. My point is that we have to provide entertainment and other attractions, even in the smaller areas.

I make a special plea for bed and breakfast premises, because they are vital in areas where there are no hotels. They were exceptionally good in the past but, unfortunately, they are being over-challenged now. The overheads, red tape and so on for bed and breakfast premises must be revisited, because when a person stays in bed and breakfast accommodation in a rural area, they get a feel for the area. I believe they are a dying breed and I ask that we find some way of encouraging bed and breakfast owners to stay in the business.