Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Brendan Griffin, for being here and the strategic leadership he is showing in the Department. I do not want to be patronising when I say it is important for any Minister in any position to have passion, knowledge and a feel for his or her brief. I think the Minister of State has demonstrated that he has these qualities in abundance in his tourism and sport portfolios, as there has been a clear move within the Department in the past 12 months. There has been a reflection on the tourist experience as one that is visitor-led. There has been an emphasis on ensuring we are open for business.

The Minister of State who is a Kerryman is always welcome when he comes to Cork to launch various initiatives. I hope he and Senator Ned O'Sullivan will not leave Páirc Uí Chaoimh with a cup in two weeks' time. As someone who comes from Munster and Cork, it is important that we market Cork as a single destination. We need to recognise that it is a gateway to the south and initiatives such as Ireland's Ancient East and the Wild Atlantic Way. The national tourism policy, People, Place and Policy - Growing Tourism to 2025, is the basis that underpins everything we are doing. The figures show that there has been a significant increase in tourism footfall in Cork. This growth must be met by realism.

Senator Maria Byrne and others have touched on the shortage of chefs. Many of us who were in the Seanad in previous years did not want to see the closure of the training centres in Cork and Limerick. It can now be seen that the decision taken at the time was wrong.

The VAT rate issue is of concern to many. We must incentivise those involved in in the tourism, hospitality and catering sectors to continue to employ and provide an array of food and artisan products such as craft beer. It is about the visitor experience.

Fáilte Ireland has stated there is no iconic visitor attraction in the city of Cork, but our tourism product is about more than having an iconic visitor attraction. It is also about the sense of place we can offer. It is about the visitor experience which includes shopping, food and the night-time economy. It is about being able to move beyond the city to explore parts of west, east and north Cork.

There is fear in certain quarters as a result of Norwegian's decision to suspend its winter flights between Cork and Providence. I commend the Minister because he was in Cork two weeks ago when the first Air France flight landed. It symbolises growth and accessibility. When we spoke about the sale of Aer Lingus, many of us were worried that we would lose the service between Cork and London, but that has not happened. I have written to the Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport to ask for representatives of Norwegian and the Dublin Airport Authority to come before the committee to explain the current position. We cannot allow Dublin to cannibalise or monopolise at the expense of everywhere else. I met my good friend, Councillor O'Connell, today when he was in Leinster House. He spoke about flying from Dublin to County Kerry. We lost the connectivity between Cork and Dublin, partly because of the completion of the motorway but also because of what Ryanair did.

As I know that time is against us, I will make two brief points before I conclude. I would like to mention two very good organisations in Cork. The Cork Convention Bureau is generating business tourism worth €70 million a year. I commend Mr. Seamus Heaney for the work he is doing to attract conferences and different types of event. Ms Ursula Morish of Visit Cork, a strategic tourism agency for Cork, is involved in the Pure Cork brand, the aim of which is to attract people to Cork and promote Cork city and county.

I congratulate the Minister of State on his work to date. I hope he will continue to challenge the tourism and hospitality sectors. I hope he will also put a light under Fáilte Ireland. People in many markets do not know about certain parts of the country. People in North America, in particular, tend to think about Dublin and Galway, but they forget about Cork. They might be aware of County Kerry as the home of tourism in Ireland, but we need to remember that tourism is not just about Dublin. The Dublin Airport Authority, in particular, must recognise that other airports throughout the country deserve an opportunity to have their business enhanced and increased.