Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming to the House to discuss this unprecedented set of measures which none of us would have expected to be necessary. At a time like this it is right and appropriate for the State to invest taxpayers' money to shore up our economy and to keep our people safe during the pandemic.

The Minister will be aware that the tourism sector is the sector most affected by the pandemic crisis. This is clear to all. We normally welcome 11 million tourists in a year. This year we will see virtually none. There are several facilities in my constituency that fall under the auspices of the Shannon Group, namely, Bunratty Castle and Folk Park and King John's Castle. The Shannon Group now proposes to close these attractions at the end of August. It is seeking some money from the State to keep them open. I hope the Minister's Department can find the money to ensure these businesses remain open during the winter period, albeit with fewer tourists visiting. We must try to drive some domestic tourism to the region. That market is there. The fact that people will not be leaving the State in the summer period means they will take shorter breaks throughout the autumn.

Some of the microenterprises in the tourism sector also need support. We must ensure that bed and breakfasts are not excluded from the Covid-19 restart grant just because they are not registered with Bord Fáilte. That is really important and I hope the Minister can resolve that for us.

I also refer to pony treks, jarveys and carriage rides. I am thinking of a particular business run by Mr. Sean Kilkenny in and around the grounds of Dromoland Castle. He receives the temporary Covid-19 payment of €350, which goes some way to assist him and his family but certainly does not cover the cost of feeding 40 horses through the winter. Because the business is paying rent and not rates, it previously did not qualify for the Covid-19 restart grant. It is important that the Government is flexible, as my colleague said about other areas. These businesses need flexibility to ensure they remain in operation through the winter period and are ready to take advantage when American tourists come back to the market.

We must also invest in infrastructure. One piece of infrastructure is being supported and purchased by the local authority in my constituency, namely, Holy Island or Inis Cealtra. It is a fantastic monastic settlement which will be a very considerable part of the local tourist trail. This is a tourist attraction that can be built upon. It is really important that facilities like that get the support of the Government and get the investment necessary to turn them into world-class tourist attractions. Work can be done during this period when tourism is at a low ebb so the industry is ready to take advantage when international travel starts again.

The Government should also invest very considerably in the basic infrastructure of our villages and towns. In the constituency I know best, County Clare, there are four villages that have absolutely no Irish Water assets but suffer from a sewerage problem. In many cases untreated sewage is flushed into rivers or the sea.The villages in question are Broadford, Cooraclare, Doolin and Carrigaholt. We need the Government to use this time to invest in shovel-ready projects. The projects in at least two of those villages are shovel-ready.

I hope the Minister of State, through his Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, will ensure that recognition is given to the importance of keeping people in employment, particularly in the construction sector, at this difficult time, while also getting real value for our money. As the Minister of State well knows, the State can borrow money on the markets at a negative interest rate. Investment in the basic infrastructure of villages and towns will generate significant returns. It will help to facilitate people who wish to move back to such villages and towns from cities. As a result of the significantly increased uptake of remote working opportunities, many people wish to get out of cities and return to rural areas. There is an opportunity to address and rectify the imbalance in development. Doing so would allow people to move from the east coast to the west and that would benefit all areas, including the schools and communities of rural villages and towns. It would also relieve some of the enormous pressure on the east coast, and Dublin in particular, where the continual population growth in recent years has put significant pressure on the water, sewerage and road infrastructure. I appeal to the Minister of State, who I know has a very good understanding of rural and urban Ireland, to give consideration to projects that can help to relieve the pressure on those large urban areas.