Vol. 537 No. 4
1 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he gave consideration to or if any approach was made to former US President Bill Clinton to carry out a major tourism drive in the United States to counteract the misleading and damaging effects of the foot and mouth disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16149/01]
As the Deputy is aware, a major tourism marketing reassurance campaign to help counter the adverse impact of the foot and mouth crisis, is already under way in our key source markets, including the United States. The campaign, with a total budget of £10 million, has been designed by Bord Fáilte in consultation with the tourism industry. I was particularly pleased that the Government at its meeting in Killarney earlier this week gave approval for the final Exchequer contribution of £2 million towards the cost of this campaign. These actions are, of course, incremental to the 2001 budget previously approved for tourism marketing which represented the largest ever level of State funding for tourism marketing and brings the total Exchequer provision now for tourism marketing and promotion in 2001 to £67 million.
The reassurance marketing campaign consists of special media advertising, trade reassurance measures and special promotional visits, including my own recent visit to the US. In the course of that visit, I undertook 30 interviews with television, radio and print media; I attended trade and media events in four cities and had three industry meetings.
As regards the use of personalities to endorse the marketing campaign, I am pleased to say that, following a request from the Government, the rock band U2 are highlighting the attractions of holidaying in Ireland to fans at their US concerts and have included favourable material on their website. In addition, the movie star, Martin Sheen, who is currently starring as President Bartlet in the hit television series "The West Wing", has been used in special new television and radio advertising in the US.
I understand from Bord Fáilte that former President Bill Clinton's recent visit to Ireland did generate some useful publicity in the US and this, of course, is to be welcomed.
(Mayo): With all due respect to the Minister and Martin Sheen, even with Bord Fáilte spending £10 million on marketing, the Minister must acknowledge that a golden opportunity was missed. President Clinton was the most pro-Irish US President since President Kennedy. His vision and determination were singularly responsible for silencing the IRA guns in the North and ending the killing. His impact would have been instant and enormous and he could have dispelled the myth that foot and mouth disease is an animal rather than a human condition. He could have shown that the crisis was not widespread but was isolated to one outbreak in County Louth. Why did the Minister or someone in Bord Fáilte not have the vision to see that President Clinton was available to be a willing accomplice to the Irish cause as he always has been? He could have done considerably more for the country than we will get out of the £10 million, the Minister's visit to the United States and the advertising by Martin Sheen and others. Why did the Minister not grab this opportunity?
The United States is a democracy just as this country is. Two weeks before his visit, I wrote to President Clinton asking him if he could assist us and, in particular, if he would be grand marshal of our St. Patrick's Day parade. He has his own opinion and he had his own agenda for his visit here. I can show the Deputy the two page letter I wrote. Unfortunately, President Clinton was unable to be of assistance on this occasion.
(Mayo): It took a long hard slog to get tourism infrastructure to its high standard. By virtue of the fact that Bord Fáilte has said it will take years to rebuild that infrastructure, will the Minister consider asking President Clinton to adopt an ambassadorial role to sell Ireland in a most positive light abroad? He is available for promotional work. He was here last week and made himself available for lectures. Knowing President Clinton, he would probably be willing to do it for nothing.
President Clinton has been a terrific ambassador for Ireland through the years. He continues to act as an unpaid ambassador and his visit here, playing golf in Ballybunion and travelling to the four corners of the country, was hugely beneficial. I do not think any other former President would have undertaken that amount of work.
