Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I call on Fáilte Ireland to include Limerick city in the Wild Atlantic Way route before the commencement of the 2017 tourism season. I also ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to put his weight behind my proposal. In 2015 I submitted a motion on this issue to my local authority, Limerick City and County Council, which received unanimous support. While we subsequently contacted Fáilte Ireland on the issue, no action has been taken to date. Given that Limerick is the capital of the mid-west, I cannot understand the reasons the city and Shannon International Airport were not included as attractive options in the original Wild Atlantic Way project.

The Wild Atlantic Way has developed into a phenomenal success. Its route extends from County Donegal to Kinsale and is focused on the coastline. It incorporates a number of well known tourist routes such as the Ring of Kerry in the county of the Acting Chairman, Senator Ned O'Sullivan, and the Connemara and County Donegal coastlines.

The Wild Atlantic Way vision is to create a world class, sustainable and unmissable destination brand that will engage and energise visitors in order that they will become powerful advocates and want to return for more. This is a powerful statement. Limerick city offers a number of excellent visitor attractions, including King John's Castle, the Hunt Museum, the Georgian quarter and Thomond Park, to name but a few. An increasing number of overseas visitors are interested in history and culture and Limerick and its environs offer many opportunities to explore both. There are theatres and art galleries, as well as excellent hotels, restaurants and sports venues. Visitors to the area take in Ennis, Bunratty folk park, the castles at Bunratty and Knappogue, Lough Gur and Adare and rejoin the main route to Foynes. Accommodation stock is concentrated in counties Cork and Kerry which account for more than half of the tourist properties and 44% of beds along the Wild Atlantic Way. A large proportion of highlighted activities and attractions are also to be found in these counties.

Limerick city and environs could provide for a substantial and sustainable increase in accommodation, activities and attractions in a central location along the Wild Atlantic Way route. I cannot understand the reason Shannon International Airport is not strongly promoted as an entry point to the Wild Atlantic Way. The airport offers easy access routes from many countries and would surely contribute to increased visitor numbers if highlighted as a convenient way of joining the Wild Atlantic Way. The area is an ideal destination for those who would like to take a short break and explore part of the route.

Tourism is a critical component of the health of the economy and particularly important to the western half of the country. As well as large-scale business operations, there are numerous micro-enterprises in the region which provide much needed employment in local communities. It is Government policy to seek to increase revenue from overseas visitors. The Wild Atlantic Way is a key component of this policy and the inclusion of Limerick and Shannon would greatly assist in achieving this aim. We need to maximise visitor numbers and do everything possible to extend the tourism season.

Limerick and its environs would be an attractive addition to the Wild Atlantic Way project during the off-peak season. I am not seeking a major change. My proposal would provide an option for visitors who would like to experience the attractions Limerick city has to offer without travelling far from the current route. It would add variety to the overall visitor experience, which is surely a worthwhile aim. Limerick is not far from the Wild Atlantic Way in that the tide visits the city twice daily.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for raising this issue. The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is responsible for the formulation of national tourism policy, while Fáilte Ireland has operational responsibility for tourism initiatives such as the Wild Atlantic Way. Both Ireland's Ancient East and the Wild Atlantic Way have been phenomenal additions to the tourism offering.

The Wild Atlantic Way project was born out of a decline In visitor numbers to the west in successive years. It is not simply a touring route but a means of guiding and attracting visitors to particular areas. Its purpose is to guide visitors to what is on offer on the western seaboard, while also providing easy access to a range of experiences along and near the route. Its objective is to motivate more overseas visitors to visit the west, give them reasons to linger longer and encourage them to engage with communities along the route.

Communities on and near the Wild Atlantic Way are already using the route to generate more tourist traffic and revenue. The route was developed using a collaborative approach in which regional steering groups were convened to inform route development. In total, 366 feedback submissions were made containing 862 individual comments. The initial capital funding for the agreed route was directed towards route signage and developing 188 discovery points along the route, including 15 signature discovery points. More recently, the work involves installation of photo points and interpretation panels at all 188 discovery points.

Fáilte Ireland is investigating the possibility of piloting a number of drives along the Wild Atlantic Way, with a view to offering visitors the opportunity to explore the breadth of visitor experiences adjacent to the route. The purpose of this would be to encourage a greater regional spread of visitors across the country and mitigate against congestion in high traffic spots along the route. County Limerick which is my local area and adjacent to County Kerry, from where the Acting Chairman comes, is situated within the region of the Wild Atlantic Way known as the cliff coast which stretches from Galway to Ballybunion. Foynes Island is a discovery point along the Wild Atlantic Way route and Limerick city and Adare are identified as places of historical interest on the Wild Atlantic Way map.Limerick city is not directly on the Wild Atlantic Way but has an important role as a gateway city and accommodation hub for the west. It has not been included on the route as it is not a place where the land meets the Atlantic Ocean in a wild manner, even though Senator Byrne is correct in that the tide comes in and out twice a day. Limerick is not regarded as an inland city; rather it is an estuarine city.

Limerick businesses are well-placed to take advantage of the Wild Atlantic Way initiative. Limerick offers Wild Atlantic Way travellers an urban experience with its history, as Senator Byrne outlined. It is extremely well-equipped to exploit the Wild Atlantic Way proposition given its ease of access, range of food, high-quality accommodation etc. Fáilte Ireland is working closely with tourism businesses throughout Limerick to help them exploit their position close to the Wild Atlantic Way. It has invested significantly in the Limerick tourism product over the recent past. For example, it invested €4.7 million in the redevelopment of King John's Castle as an attraction which is already exceeding visitor targets. A number of initiatives have been progressed by Limerick City and County Council within both the city and county areas. It is vital for the sector to increase the geographical spread of activity along the Wild Atlantic Way. There has been enormous positive feedback from traders along the Wild Atlantic Way route over the recent past, with occupancy levels as an all-time high.

Since being appointed Minister of State with responsibility for domestic tourism, I have taken this issue to heart. I invest a lot of time with local authorities. Last week, I met representatives of the County and City Management Association. We discussed the issue, specifically the development of the tourism potential in local authority areas. It is my intention over the next short period of time, in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland and city and county managers, to examine specific initiatives that are local authority-led, supported by Fáilte Ireland and concentrated in areas that have the greatest level of immediate potential for spin-off from the Wild Atlantic Way. I hope to be able to make an announcement to that end shortly. I expect Senator Byrne will be pleasantly surprised by the announcement.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his positive response. It is something I have beaten the drum about for a while. I am delighted to hear the Minister of State is willing to take my point of view on board and is working on some initiatives on tourism attractions. I await his positive response in the near future.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Senator Byrne referred to Shannon Airport. No airports along the west coast, including Kerry, Shannon, Cork and Knock, are directly on the Wild Atlantic Way route but they all have an incredible offering. Tourism Ireland, through its international fund for regional marketing, and Fáilte Ireland have a keen interest in making sure investment will be in place to promote ease of access for those airports, as well as for Cork Harbour and Rosslare.

Local authorities are empowered under the Local Government Act. As I said last week during a debate to which the Acting Chairman contributed, I would relish the opportunity to return to the Seanad for a more detailed discussion on my plans and actions for domestic tourism and tourism on the island. Local authorities have a much stronger position and legal basis under which they can drive initiatives like those to which I have referred from a Limerick and Clare point of view - I have put them together and both managers are working on an initiative I am trying to progress. A number of things are happening. I would welcome the opportunity to have a proper discussion, listen to the views of Senators and have Senators hear what I am doing. They have a strong affinity for local authorities, which are key in the development of this product.

This is not all about branding and the Wild Atlantic Way will not go through Carnsore Point or eventually find its way into Greenore. There will not be extensions to the Wild Atlantic Way as we know it now. Rather, there will be future development opportunities where that brand can be used in a local, regional and national context to develop the tourism industry in adjoining areas. That is my priority and that of the Department and Fáilte Ireland. I hope we will have positive news in the future.

Senators might consider having a full debate. They are closely associated with local authority members and we could discuss how they can assist me and I can assist them in making sure that the strategies we hope to be able to deliver in the early part of 2017 can be driven by local authority members. The Seanad has an important role to play and I would welcome the opportunity for it to assist and co-operate with me in that regard.

Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)
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On a humorous note, I had the privilege of being a director of Limerick Harbour and of Shannon Foynes Port at different times. There were some fairly wild encounters, as I am sure the Minister of State and Senator Byrne will know.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Not on the water, however.