Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Griffin, for coming to the House and commend him on his stewardship of the Department in the areas of tourism and sport. His speech was a very realistic one. Notwithstanding the growth in tourism and the record numbers we have seen, the high spend and the tourism action plan, which has been put in place, it is a challenging time for the tourism sector. I am fortunate that the people I meet in Cork from the Irish Hotels Federation and the tourism bodies, such as Aaron Mansworth, Neil Grant and Diarmuid Vaughan, given an honest appraisal of where they are at. It is a mixed bag at one level. It is challenging.

The Minister of State spoke about capacity. Demand is an issue. We are fortunate in Cork that the airport is on an upward trajectory. That is positive. One of my concerns about Cork Airport is that the traffic is predominantly outbound. We must examine the aviation policy of the State in terms of the capacity and usage of Dublin Airport. I hope the Department, or the Dublin Airport Authority, could convene a summit on aviation policy. I might be in a minority of one or two, but I believe there is a need to look at connectivity between Dublin and Cork. We are fortunate that Cork has connectivity to Europe but there is no longer connectivity to North America following the loss of the Norwegian Air 737 service. The issue relates to the sale of seats and we must examine it.

As has been mentioned, the convention centre is an important issue in Cork. I commend the Government on its stewardship in terms of the allocation of funding. I praise the tenacity of An Tánaiste in the face of much local criticism and commentary about the events centre. The Government has stood firm and, to be fair to the Tánaiste, he has made this a political priority. I believe the investment in the events centre will prove a benefit to Cork in the shoulder season. The Cork branch of the Irish Hotels Federation stated that 57% of hotels have seen a fall in business, which is a worry.

I commend Fáilte Ireland on its training of staff in the hospitality sector. Senator Gavan made a point on the Order of Business today about the way in which workers in the sector are treated. I did not read the report he mentioned.It is important that the people who work in the hospitality sector are trained to the height of perfection. There is a skills shortage. Last July, I wrote to the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Humphreys, about a skills shortage in the hospitality sector. I hope that a pilot scheme to combat skill shortages will be introduced, as we did in the agricultural sector, because there are restaurants in Cork and hotels that want to bring people into this country but have been prevented, in some cases, from doing so by the work permits scheme.

The Minister of State has championed greenways as part of his brief and Senator Coffey has been a positive advocate of the greenway in Waterford. I draw the attention of the House to the proposed Lee to Sea Greenway, that will extend from the Inniscarra dam to Crosshaven to the mouth of the River Lee - the harbour of Cork city. The greenway already is accessible for a significant part of the city and county but needs some improvements and links. The greenway is important for Cork, as it would add a huge value to Cork city and county in terms of our tourism product. It would also improve physical health, mental health and allow people to access cultural and historical sites in Cork. The initiative complements the work being done by the Government in terms of sustainable mobility and travel. The Lee to Sea Greenway offers an opportunity to capitalise on the work done by Cork City Council at Tramore Valley Park, in the Blackrock area and in other areas to make Cork city accessible for people who want to run, walk or cycle.

Finally, I pay tribute to the work done by an Cumann Lúthchleas Gael. Gaelic sports are a unique selling point that we can use to promote Ireland as a destination. Many tourists come here but it is the product that they get that is important. I commend the Minister of State on his work and initiative.