Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Fáilte Ireland has done a lot of work on digital supports for business. There was a lot of engagement with Fáilte Ireland earlier this year on the supports it has in place, which are wonderful. I like the bed-nights portal on its website which shows the breakdown of accommodation supports and bed and breakfast nights across our different providers and how hotels provide 60% to 70% of bed nights here.

As the Minister noted in her opening statement, this is a massive industry worth more than €9.5 billion. It has a huge impact on local economies particularly in areas such as Galway, where I am from, or Roscommon. That area is part of the Hidden Heartlands. The west of Galway is in the Wild Atlantic Way but it is crucial that east Galway is part of the branding under the Hidden Heartlands. East Galway and Roscommon have so many treasures that are getting a lot of promotion through this.

The just transition was launched in Longford with the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan some weeks ago. It was fantastic to see. I have some specific questions on that. The just transition is open to counties in the midlands. It includes Roscommon and the municipal district of Ballinasloe. It is the only municipal district of the five in County Galway that is part of the just transition. It will be really important for the area. Ballinasloe is the town for Shannonbridge and is only 10 km away. Lanesborough is the town for Roscommon and Ballyleague; they are two areas impacted by the changes in industry.

The parts of just transition under Fáilte Ireland referred to certain types of grants. There were small grants of roughly €10,000 to €275,000 and larger-scale grants over €275,000 for different types of projects. I understand they will be under a rolling call which will open around July. If the Minister could give any more comments or details on this it would be very welcome. It is important that it looks at the visitor experience and how we will develop the area to be ready to draw down that funding.

Fáilte Ireland is seeking a tourism activator for each county. I am asking the Minister to consider that the tourism activator for County Galway could be located in Ballinasloe municipal district and in its civic offices. That person will be someone who will work with communities across the area in the Ballinasloe municipal district. That includes Mountbellew, Glenamaddy, Laurencetown, Clonfert, all along the River Suck. It will support them and help them apply for this funding. This will be a game changer for so many of these communities but they are probably insufficiently developed to apply for the funding. The tourism activator role will be crucial. A person will also be allocated for County Roscommon. It is a very welcome role which was announced by Fáilte Ireland.

Trail development, working with Bord na Móna, is another thing. People in Ballinasloe are delighted Galway to Dublin cycleway is coming there from Athlone along the Grand Canal towpath. It is coming through a lot of Bord na Móna area, linking not only our cycleways but also our waterways. So there is the River Suck, the Grand Canal - where the new cycleway will be constructed around 2026 fingers crossed - and the Beara Breifne Way which goes through nine counties from Cork to Cavan, and through Galway and Roscommon. The trail development is to help developers put in place walkways in bogland areas. There are so many areas which are open for this. I would like to see how we are developing routes off the new cycleway through bogland areas linking places such as Ahascragh. There is a multi-million euro gin and whiskey distillery being launched there. An old mill which was derelict has been renovated and millions pumped into it. It is putting Ahascragh on the map. It would be wonderful if some of these trails, walkways and cycleways were linked through our bogs and into some of our towns. Mountbellew has Galway’s living bog of thousands of acres. Moore, Ballydangan has the red grouse living project. What is there is incredible. That trail’s development through Bord na Móna could really change along with rewetting bogs and maintaining all the sphagnum mosses and ensuring we have biodiversity. Making this open means that we see how our environmental changes benefit our community and society and children can see this. That can happen with platform walkways through bogs, cycleways and off-road experiences.

I live in an area where you take your life in your hands when you walk on the road because there are no footpaths. You have nowhere to walk. I so look forward to the cycleway in 2026 but also how Fáilte Ireland will support communities around the trail development so that communities in the area can use them as well as tourists. I am not just talking about international tourists. The domestic economy and how we attract tourists from only an hour down the road is crucial. It is about how we bring in people from Westmeath, Offaly, Mayo and Sligo to visit. Some people here have been to Galway recently to celebrate big occasions. How we attract our domestic visitors to places such as Roscommon and Galway is important. Small-scale festival funding has just been launched, and it is very welcome to see. I thank the Minister for that. It was crucial for a festival, Féile Cheoil Larry Reynolds in Ballinasloe, which involves traditional Irish music. It is about arts and heritage and I know the Minister is looking to fund several groups. Last year, her Department funded 28. In the Fáilte Ireland presentation given earlier this year, it spoke about 45 strategic festivals that would be funded. Will there be an increase, potentially, on the numbers that were funded? There were roughly 28 and different amounts. Will the Minister look at music festivals? There is a brand-new festival, the Livestock Music & Arts Festival. Two family farmers developed that space to have music. It was a family festival but was very diverse. It would be very welcoming for new communities because there is drumming and different types of instruments. That would be important. I also highlight the Beara-Breifne Way, as I mentioned. I very much appreciated Senator Wall, I think, speaking about litter and CCTV. I know it is not the Minister's Department but any information on CCTV and local authorities would be welcome.