Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. I only have a few things to say with regard to tourism and the Minister's brief. They are a little bit disjointed - I would not like to think I was too disjointed - but I want to share with the Minister two or three things. First, I was at the recent British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. We gathered in Jersey for a few days. The issue of tourism was very much to the fore of our deliberations. There is the issue of the North-South tourism body. The all-island approach we have to tourism is one of the great successes. Jersey, Scotland and Wales are all part of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, BIPA, and we discussed the issue particularly with regard to Scotland and Wales, and how we can develop tourism more within our own countries and economies. I am very conscious of the issue, particularly in Ireland, with regard to the agrifood and artisan food sectors, and how we can spend money at home. Everyone does not have to go away. It is about spending in Ireland. The challenge for many of us is why we are not spending more time in Ireland. Why are we not spending more time going North? I am a regular visitor to Northern Ireland, and there are really great opportunities there. That is important. The work around the North-South tourism body, the all-island approach, is a good one. It is one I welcome and support.

The issue then has to be around what the motivation is for us to stay in Ireland in terms of tourism. It is about discovery, experience, consuming the tangible and intangible cultural attractions, and making that attractive with regard to the products for the tourism destination. The Minister is aware of all this, but it is important.

The Minister also has the arts brief. We have our arts and culture. The Minister may or may not be aware of this, but we have a lot of inward tourism as a result of our very famous and historic gardens in Ireland. Horticulture is an area of tourism, particularly for an older generation of people. People come on highly-organised tours to visit gardens both North and South. With that, one has bed capacity and spending in all of those areas, and that is really important.

I would like to see more focus on the coastal attractions, and the wonderful amenities, and how we can tap into that with regard to tourism and recreation. Tourism is interconnected with cultural exchange, and exposure to different kinds of culture. I know many people go to west Cork - I go there quite a bit myself - and of the opportunities there.

After all of that, we have to look at the cost, and why it is so expensive for us to stay in Ireland and avail of the tourism offering. Are we tackling the price gouging which has been going on in the hotel sector at certain times of the year? It has become very expensive, so we have to look at the costs. We have had issues around VAT and taxation on tourism, and we lobbied very successfully or strongly in the past on that. When that was slightly tweaked and reduced, many in the tourism sector were not directly happy, but I am not convinced it was all passed on to the customer. That is a particular challenge for us.

However, there is a real opportunity to promote our cultural events and cultural spaces, and what is all around all of that, including agrifood and the offerings around that. We have an awful lot to do. When one looks at Longford and thinks of Center Parcs, one sees that as a real success. Can we reproduce the model in one or two places? I am told that maybe it is not as financially successful as it appears, but it appears to be very successful, and certainly people are talking about it.

I want to wish the Minister well. I know her a long time. I know how she applies herself, and that she is fiercely committed to this Department and the broad briefs within it. Tourism is a great opportunity for us all, and we should grow it. I would like to see greater co-ordination and work within our local authorities. I am thinking of Limerick and Ennis and of Bunratty and the transfer back into the local authority. There are real opportunities to empower local authorities to take on the ownership and the stewardship of particular sites and tourist attractions. I ask the Minister to actively pursue that. I do not know if she has a plan or a direct link in each of the 31 local authorities in terms of a liaison person who is driving tourism, like we have in the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment with the local enterprise offices, LEOs. Are there key people within the local authority structure who promote and drive tourism? They are just a few thoughts. I thank the Minister.