Sharon Keogan (Independent)

Today I speak about the steady decline of our tourist sector caused by misguided Government policy. We are witnessing the over-regulation of our small and medium enterprises, particularly bed-and-breakfast accommodation which is being strangled by bureaucracy and compliance burdens. These are the backbone of rural tourism, yet they are being treated like multinational chains. It is no wonder that many are closing their doors. Accommodation costs in Ireland have spiralled out of control. Visitors are being charged extortionate rates and value for money is plummeting. Fáilte Ireland's own reports show that demand continues to outstrip supply, driving up prices and damaging our reputation. And what of law and order? Just last week, a player from the Pittsburgh Steelers was jumped and robbed in Dublin. The historic NFL game at Croke Park, intended as a showcase of Irish hospitality, is now a global embarrassment. An Garda Síochána has yet to receive a formal complaint, but the damage to our image is done.

Let us not ignore the elephant in the room, which is the transformation of hundreds of hotels into international protection accommodation centres. Over 116 hotels and counting are now off the market, removing vital bed space from the tourism economy. Fáilte Ireland estimates this has cost the Irish economy up to €1.1 billion. We have replaced revenue streams with bottomless pits for taxpayers' money. Tourism numbers are falling. January and February saw a drop of between 25% and 30% in the number of foreign visitors. We are at a crisis point, yet the Government's own tourism Department is failing to provide a timeline for returning these hotels to public use. I call on the Minister for tourism to explain how he intends to reverse this decline. We need pro-tourism and pro-enterprise policies, not more red tape and short-term fixes.