Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this issue. The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is responsible for the formulation of national tourism policy, while Fáilte Ireland has operational responsibility for tourism initiatives such as the Wild Atlantic Way. Both Ireland's Ancient East and the Wild Atlantic Way have been phenomenal additions to the tourism offering.

The Wild Atlantic Way project was born out of a decline In visitor numbers to the west in successive years. It is not simply a touring route but a means of guiding and attracting visitors to particular areas. Its purpose is to guide visitors to what is on offer on the western seaboard, while also providing easy access to a range of experiences along and near the route. Its objective is to motivate more overseas visitors to visit the west, give them reasons to linger longer and encourage them to engage with communities along the route.

Communities on and near the Wild Atlantic Way are already using the route to generate more tourist traffic and revenue. The route was developed using a collaborative approach in which regional steering groups were convened to inform route development. In total, 366 feedback submissions were made containing 862 individual comments. The initial capital funding for the agreed route was directed towards route signage and developing 188 discovery points along the route, including 15 signature discovery points. More recently, the work involves installation of photo points and interpretation panels at all 188 discovery points.

Fáilte Ireland is investigating the possibility of piloting a number of drives along the Wild Atlantic Way, with a view to offering visitors the opportunity to explore the breadth of visitor experiences adjacent to the route. The purpose of this would be to encourage a greater regional spread of visitors across the country and mitigate against congestion in high traffic spots along the route. County Limerick which is my local area and adjacent to County Kerry, from where the Acting Chairman comes, is situated within the region of the Wild Atlantic Way known as the cliff coast which stretches from Galway to Ballybunion. Foynes Island is a discovery point along the Wild Atlantic Way route and Limerick city and Adare are identified as places of historical interest on the Wild Atlantic Way map.Limerick city is not directly on the Wild Atlantic Way but has an important role as a gateway city and accommodation hub for the west. It has not been included on the route as it is not a place where the land meets the Atlantic Ocean in a wild manner, even though Senator Byrne is correct in that the tide comes in and out twice a day. Limerick is not regarded as an inland city; rather it is an estuarine city.

Limerick businesses are well-placed to take advantage of the Wild Atlantic Way initiative. Limerick offers Wild Atlantic Way travellers an urban experience with its history, as Senator Byrne outlined. It is extremely well-equipped to exploit the Wild Atlantic Way proposition given its ease of access, range of food, high-quality accommodation etc. Fáilte Ireland is working closely with tourism businesses throughout Limerick to help them exploit their position close to the Wild Atlantic Way. It has invested significantly in the Limerick tourism product over the recent past. For example, it invested €4.7 million in the redevelopment of King John's Castle as an attraction which is already exceeding visitor targets. A number of initiatives have been progressed by Limerick City and County Council within both the city and county areas. It is vital for the sector to increase the geographical spread of activity along the Wild Atlantic Way. There has been enormous positive feedback from traders along the Wild Atlantic Way route over the recent past, with occupancy levels as an all-time high.

Since being appointed Minister of State with responsibility for domestic tourism, I have taken this issue to heart. I invest a lot of time with local authorities. Last week, I met representatives of the County and City Management Association. We discussed the issue, specifically the development of the tourism potential in local authority areas. It is my intention over the next short period of time, in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland and city and county managers, to examine specific initiatives that are local authority-led, supported by Fáilte Ireland and concentrated in areas that have the greatest level of immediate potential for spin-off from the Wild Atlantic Way. I hope to be able to make an announcement to that end shortly. I expect Senator Byrne will be pleasantly surprised by the announcement.