I thank the Minister for coming to the House at this late hour to take the debate on this very important issue.
Nothing should be done to undermine the importance of keeping foot and mouth disease out of this State. To date, the responsible approach by members of the public to the advice on foot and mouth disease from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development must be commended. I sincerely hope people's patience and sense of responsibility does not wear thin. It is crucial that we remain steadfast in our fight to keep foot and mouth disease out of this State until we get the green light.
In recent days it has become clear that the restrictions in place to prevent an outbreak of foot and mouth disease are beginning to have a negative consequence for many people. Apart from the farming sector, those working in sport and in the food industry have witnessed temporary job losses.
A sector where restrictions on the movement of people is really hurting is the tourism industry. Tonight, many people in this House would have watched the RTE news feature on the difficulties facing the tourism industry. As long as the foot and mouth disease restrictions apply, the difficulties for this industry will persist and will get worse. The Irish Hotels Federation said tonight that up to 500 conferences are in jeopardy. Last weekend in Killarney a major SIPTU conference was cancelled.
Tourism, like agriculture, is an important indigenous industry. Tourism and the catering sector account for our fastest growing industry. It is therefore crucial that a strategy be put in place to ensure that this industry is not seriously damaged over the coming weeks and months. The springtime is best described as the shoulder period, before the tourism season really takes off. A successful shoulder season is the difference between whether jobs in the industry will be seasonal or full-time. My constituency, South Kerry, which is one of the tourism capitals, is already suffering major losses. One major hotel in the area has estimated that business lost to date as a result of the foot and mouth disease restrictions is worth in the region of £10,000. The cancellation of conferences, seminars and major events, which form the bread and butter for the tourism industry at this time of the year, have resulted in staff layoffs and instructions to staff to take holidays now. Many people running golf clubs, angling clubs, walking tours, heritage sites and much more have been temporarily laid off or are on compulsory holidays. While the staff have accepted this fate in the interests of the national economy, they will simply not accept, nor should they, a situation whereby the summer tourism season is also damaged. It is crucial that a strategy be put in place by the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation. In addition, it is vital that a major campaign be put in place to sell our tourism industry post-foot and mouth disease crisis, to make good the losses now being encountered.
Last summer the tourism industry outside Dublin was greatly damaged because of industrial action undertaken at Iarnród Éireann. Tourists abandoned plans to travel to places like Kerry, Cork and Galway because they were unsure of the availability of a rail service. It is critical, in the interests of sustaining operators in the tourism industry, that they have a good summer to make good last year's losses.
The decision to cancel St. Patrick's day events has come as a great disappointment to organisers and participants, particularly those who were planning to travel from overseas. That the annual St. Patrick's day parade in Dublin will not take place means massive losses to the tourism industry. In the words of J. J. Kavanagh, chairman of the Coach Tourism and Transport Council, should the £3 billion tourism industry be allowed to disappear how and when will the situation be retrieved when the scare has passed?
The tourism industry and all those who work in it need the Minister's assistance and support during this difficult time. I appeal to him to begin discussions with all concerned as it is a worrying time for everybody involved in the industry.