Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is important that we have an early debate on tourism. Two years ago the name for tourism was "staycation". It worked very well for the country. Such a debate should be a priority because so many areas in the sector are under severe pressure. The hospitality sector is under pressure in terms of staff and in many cases it is looking for permits. That is something that crosses over to other Departments. There is a shortage of chefs and a whole range of staff in catering. Then there is the matter of sterling which is getting stronger. That could help our tourism sector. We should be encouraging people from the UK to holiday here.

In high-profile tourism areas, we should have very good Wi-Fi so that people visiting can use it for business as well as for pleasure. This is the time of the year to have such a debate. The hospitality sector needs a lift. It is experiencing massive increases in the cost of energy and other things. There are great challenges and if the House could be of any assistance in highlighting these matters, that would be very welcome.