Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 Feb 1992

Vol. 131 No. 4

Tourism Industry: Motion.

Mr. Mooney

I move:

That Seanad Éireann notes the increase in tourist revenue during 1991 and welcomes the Government's continuing commitment to the Irish tourist industry, as outlined in the recent budget initiatives.

The importance of tourism to the Irish economy is well illustrated in the report recently commissioned by the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation which shows that over the past number of years tourism grew twice as fast as the national economy and that its share of GNP increased to almost 7 per cent. Tourism revenues topped £1.5 billion in 1990 of which £1.1 billion was foreign exchange earnings. In 1990 the Government raised over £400 million in tax revenue from tourism and the total number of full-time jobs supported by tourism was in excess of 80,000 for that year.

Tourism now accounts for one in 14 of all jobs. This sector is one of the few that offers clear opportunities for significant employment expansion in the future, mainly as a result of the Government's and especially the Minister's continuing commitment. I wish to welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Transport and Communications who is with us for the debate this evening. We are always pleased Deputy Lyons comes into the House for motions on tourism as he is now one of the most experienced Ministers in this area. I await his contribution to the debate with great interest as I am sure do all sides of the House.

On the basis of the most recent statistics available, the three year period from 1988 to the end of 1990 — the period we are debating this evening — showed a spectacular and unprecedented growth in Irish tourism. Again, I must pay tribute to the commitment of the Government from 1987 onwards which at last identified the tourist industry as absolutely vital to the future well being of the Irish economy. For many years various lobby groups and tourism interests had stated that the Government of the day needed to quantify their commitment to tourism by bringing in all the various aspects of the industry under one umbrella. Following the 1987 general election, the Government for the first time recognised the importance of tourism as an industry by appointing a Minister with a specific brief in that area. It is now accepted that a Minister with responsibility for Tourism is a vital and important part of Government.

Such is the general and widespread acceptance now of this status that one sometimes wonders why it was not initiated before now. It was obvious the concentration of energies within one Department under a political head was going to benefit the tourism industry and the period under review has shown growth well in line with the target set by the Government. For example, foreign tourist numbers grew by an average of 15 per cent per annum, more than twice the world average, while foreign revenue increased to over £1.1 billion. It is also estimated that tourism has contributed an average of 5,000 new jobs every year since 1988, a tremendous achievement at a time of global recession and despite the Gulf War 12 months ago. Last week the airline industry IATA stated that 1991 has been the worst year on record for the aviation industry. They pointed directly to the global recession and to the aftermath of the Gulf War following which people were less inclined to travel abroad.

Despite this glowing mid-term report on the Irish tourism industry — the operational programme for tourism goes right through to 1993 — there is never room for complacency. Last year serious problems were presented to the tourist industry not only in Ireland but internationally. Nevertheless, despite the prophets of doom and despite those who in late spring, in debating tourism in this House on the basis of the indicators of that time, said that Irish tourism was in for a bumpy ride at best and for a severe downturn at worst, I am pleased to say that the tourism industry responded magnificently to those challenges.

Ireland performed better than originally anticipated. For example, overseas tourist numbers were within 2.6 per cent of the 1990 record figures which was an achievement in itself. Although there was no palpable increase in tourist numbers, there was a significant increase in tourist revenue, mainly as a result of the excellent marketing strategies carried out by Bord Fáilte. They directed their considerable energies away from the United States — which by mid-spring last year was already showing signs of severe recession coupled with the natural reluctance of Americans to travel abroad in times of uncertainty generated by the Gulf War and its aftermath — and concentrated on mainland Europe to great effect. That market continues to show strong growth.

While overall British tourist numbers are down, there is evidence of a significant increase in pure holiday traffic from that market as distinct from the traditional ethnic market, the emigrant market. The emigrant market has been of tremendous value to this country for decades. It is not stated often enough in this House or outside how valuable a contribution our emigrants have made acting as unofficial ambassadors for Ireland, especially in Britain where Irish people have been under constant attack arising from the continuing appalling problems of violence affecting part of this island.

As a former emigrant I was fortuante to spend most of my time in England prior to the current troubles in Northern Ireland so I did not experience at first hand the level of prejudice and downright racism many of my Irish compatriots have experienced since the mid-seventies as a result of the IRA campaign.

It is to their eternal credit that Irish people abroad, and particularly in England, have never lost their sense of identiy, their pride in being Irish, and have been able to convey this pride in themselves and their native country to such an extraordinary degree that British tourists with no Irish connections whatsoever come to this country on the basis of their personal relationships with Irish people in Britain.

At the risk of sounding trivial, I want to emphasise the important role of a number of our leading entertainers, particularly in the United Kingdom, who have presented such a positive image of this island, not only in the material they record but in their manner on radio, televison and in concerts. I am thinking particularly of Daniel O'Donnell, Foster and Allen and of the Furey Brothers and Davey Arthur, to name three from a particular sector of the music industry. I also think of the tremendous contribution U2 have made and the Saw Doctors are now making. These comments may be regarded by some as trivial in the context of a debate on tourism but that is a problem for those critics. Those of us who operate between Britain and Ireland and who are strongly associated with emigrant groups in Britain can testify to the important work they are doing. I note the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications, Deputy Brennan, in launching a tourism task force yesterday in Dublin has included among it membership Mr. Chris de Burgh, the entertainer and Mr. Oliver Barry, the well known promotor and former head of Century Radio. The Minister has obviously acknowledged the contribution the entertainment industry is making to promoting tourism in Ireland.

Last year the home holiday market which is often overlooked also performed well. Here, again, it is an expression of practical partriotism by Irish people to choose to spend their holdiays in Ireland. I know the sand and sun of the Costa de Sol can appear very attractive to people in the depths of a grey Irish winter when they are planning their holidays, but it is to their credit that Irish people consciously take the decision to spend their holiday time and their money in Ireland and so make a contribution to the Irish economy.

This expression of practical patriotism by the Irish people should evoke a more positive response from those invovled in the tourism market here. One has only to look at the letters pages of the various national newspapers, particularly at this time when people are planning holdays, to read what others think of us. Recently a German tourist spoke about his disappointment at part of County Kerry and made a very valid point among other points that I thought not so valid. He referred to the amount of litter in a particular part of the south-west and could not understand why so many Irish supermarkets and retail outlets supplied bags free to shoppers which were then dumped in the nearest outlet rather than taken home. He paralled that with the position in Germany where one has to pay for shopping bags. He felt that if the Irish had to pay for their shopping bags they would not be so keen on throwing them around the countryside. This is a small point but as those of you involved in the Tidy Towns Competition for many years will testify, adjudicators in all annual reports on various towns and villages say that the starting point for improving and enhancing a rural or urban environment must be the elimination of litter. It is a valid point.

Recent CSO statistics show that foreign tourism revenue for the first nine months of 1991 was up by almost 7 per cent on the corresponding period in 1990. That is the result of tremendous work carried out by Bord Fáilte and those in the tourist industry. The facts speak for themselves and it really is a jumping off point, a platform for even greater achievement as the operational programme for tourism continues through to 1993. It is this revenue that creates much needed jobs in our economy and I hope this trend will at least be maintained when figures for the full year become available. This performance provides evidence, if such were needed, that the Government's tourism policy in recent years was correct and the industry is better prepared to face external challenges than ever before. This year will bring its own challenges and Bord Fáilte and the industry will be doing their utmost to get tourism back on target with a return to double digit growth for 1992.

The budget will facilitate this effort. It is designed to stimulate employment generally and contains a number of measures to achieve this. The significant easing of personal taxation in general impacts on costs which are particularly important in the labour-intensive tourism market. Furthermore the decision by the Minister for Finance, despite the present economic difficulties, to avoid VAT increases on tourism related expenditure on hotel accommodation, meals and car hire and additional excise duties on alcohol should also pay dividends and has been welcomed by the industry.

Specific problems were feared in the car hire sector this year. All of us here will be familiar with stories in the media over the past few weeks about a potential crisis in the car hire industry here during the months of July and August, the fear being that there would not be sufficient numbers of cars available for hire at that peak time. To counteract this fear the budget allocated £1 million to assist this strategically important sector.

The reduction in excise duties in new cars and on petrol will also help. It is sometimes forgotten that one of the main lobbying points being made by those in the tourism industry over the last number of years has been the relatively high cost of petrol vis-a-vis our European neighbours. One of the requests some years ago was that Ireland should introduce some form of coupons for tourists such was the high cost of petrol per gallon— being good Europeans we should refer to it in litres — in comparison with our European neighbours. The Government acted not only fairly but wisely in reducing the burden of excise duty on petrol. Some economists are suggesting that with the current global glut in the petrol market coupled with these imaginative initiatives in the recent budget the resulting decrease in the cost of petrol per gallon could be as much as 12p to 15p.

These budget measures provide real assistance to meet the demand by tourists for hired cars this season and ensure that valuable revenue is not lost to the industry generally. I do not think the House needs reminding of the sad development in Senator McKenna's county recently when one of the major players in the car hire market went into liquidation.

Acting Chairman (Mr. Cassidy)

That matter is sub judice and cannot be mentioned.

Mr. Mooney

Matters such as these have created fear in the marketplace that there will not be sufficient cars available.

I do not intend to keep the House any longer but it is important that this motion be taken at this time, the beginning of yet another tourist year and in the aftermath of budget initiatives taken to protect the tourism industry. Initiatives have been announced by the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications — and I presume the Minister of State, Deputy Lyons, will be devoting some time to the composition and terms of reference of the Tourism Task Force in his contribution.

I appeal to those who are contemplating taking holidays this year, and one must always sadly remember that for some people in our society a holiday is an aspiration rather than an economic reality to consider spending some of their time in Ireland. The growth in the number of leisure centres and in the holiday opportunities for families now available in this country makes us comparable with the best. I appeal also to the emigrant population or to those who have friends and relatives abroad notwithstanding the reality of so many unemployed people in our midst. Although many emigrants had to leave involuntarily they remain a vital part of our economy.

When I was growing up — as many people in this House and the Leas-Chathaoirleach will testify, coming from a rural area — emigrants' remittances kept body and soul together for many families. I have no doubt that the dollars, sterling and deutsche marks are still coming in to Irish homes but one hopes they will also be accompanied by the people who have had to leave; that those who have married abroad will bring their families back and make a real economic contribution to this country. I know that begs the question: what are we doing for them? I could not help but think of the much quoted phrase of the late President Kennedy when he talked of asking not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country. That form of practical patriotism should be still alive and would help those of us attempting to make life better for Irish people now.

I compliment the Government on the initiatives taken; I commend the Minister, the Minister of State and the Department for their continuing commitment to tourism and especially Bord Fáilte who have experienced trying times in recent years attempting to attract people to this offshore island which is still one of the most beautiful parts of the world.

I commend the motion to the House.

Mr. McKenna

I second the motion. I concur with Senator Mooney when he compliments the Government, Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications and the Minister of State on the magnificent performance of the tourism industry over the past 12 months. At the beginning of last year when the Gulf War started had we been asked what effect that unfortunate episode was to have on the Irish tourism industry we would have had to say it was going to be horrific, that the fall-off in tourism, particularly from the American market, would be enormous and that no Government or tourist organisation could make up the lost revenue that would accrue from that unfortunate episode. It is, therefore, amazing that we are now reflecting on an increase in tourism revenue during the past 12 months. By any standards, that is a magnificent performance.

It is acknowledged and recognised that tourism is a growth industry. We have not fully recognised the potential for the development of our tourism. For many years we were sitting on a sleeping giant and did not appreciate its development potential. It is now recognised as the largest industrial growth area.

We are beginning to realise what resources we possess. For too many years the emphasis was on the sun holiday and it was difficult to compete with other countries in terms of sunshine. We did not realise for years that tourism potential existed in a range of other areas. We cannot offer the lazy type of holiday where one lies on a beach for a fortnight or so to get a tan which will to prove one has been away for a gorgeous 14 or 21 days of sun. Many people who participated in those holidays suffered extremes of all sorts — initially people would spend four or five days getting acclimatised.

With the current emphasis on healthy living we are beginning to realise how enviable Ireland's position might be, worldwide. We have a temperate climate and it is amazing to think that winter has passed and people who had the good fortune to take holidays in Ireland have had a most enjoyable holiday because we had such good weather. The time when we could concentrate all of our energies on a three or four months holiday season has passed because we have the potential to extend our annual tourist season to 12 months.

Many people in the tourism industry recognise that fact and are setting about providing facilities to encourage people to look to Ireland as a holiday destination. In that connection we must acknowledge the response of the tourism industry to the Government's prompting and leadership and to the proposed five year plan in relation to the development of tourism.

Senator Mooney, in a different context, mentioned the county of Tipperary, but I do not think I could let the occasion pass without referring to the River Shannon and the potential in that area. The Shannon is recognised as one of the finest rivers in Europe. It has three fantastic lakes and there is the development of the Ballyconnell Canal linking with Northern Ireland. The potential there for tourism development, from the North of Ireland down to the south, is enormous. I acknowledge the efforts being made by all the responsible agencies connected with the Shannon — Bord Fáilte, Shannon Free Airport Development Company Limited, the Office of Public Works and all the other Government agencies that are playing a vital role developing the Shannon and bringing home to all and sundry the potential there.

There are quite a number of people involved in promoting the tourism industry, including the local authorities, and ensuring that all the facilities required are being provided. There is no agency involved in this sector that is found wanting at the moment. We can look forward with great confidence to the enormous development and spin-off effects. All we have to do is recognise all the new initiatives that are coming from the Government — even in the agricultural area there is the new Leader programme promoting agri-tourism ideas — the potential is right across the spectrum of Irish life.

I have no doubt that at the end of this five year plan we will see the fruit of the labours of the Government, the tourism industry and all the agencies that are so actively involved. I again congratulate Senator Mooney and others for putting down this motion. I want also to congratulate the Government, the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications and the Minister of State on the magnificent job that is being done under extremely difficult circumstances.

Mr. Hourigan

I agree with the progress that has been made in the tourism industry in recent years, this is to be lauded, and the effort of everybody who contributed is to be recognised in a positive way.

Tourism is so important that there is justification for a full time senior Minister. This is one of the areas we can look to in the future as a means of solving many of our economic ills. I make that point to highlight the importance of the tourism business because, as I perceive it — and I am sure others would have to agree — its potential has not been exploited to the full.

We have three areas from which we can derive income: we have agriculture, which has major constraints put on it with the Common Agricultural Policy, GATT and associated matters; we have industrial developments, some of them under severe pressure with major competition and we have tourism, an area that can be developed a great deal further. I believe that as a generator of finance it requires a far greater commitment than it got in years gone by. Successive Governments have not tapped tourism to the extent they should have. While I do not want to be derogatory about the contribution of the present Government towards tourism, I believe the fact that Bord Fáilte have been getting a reducing figure since 1988 when they got £28.4 million to 1991, when they got £21.9 million, and £21.5 million in 1992, shows this Government are not committed to the concept of the development of tourism. This is an extremely important area. While the reductions in the amounts paid to Bord Fáilte may not be major, they indicate a certain trend.

The Government's feeble attempts in the recent budget in providing £1 million for the tourism industry, coupled with the modest decrease in petrol prices, I would regard as only a pittance in relation to the sort of business we are talking about. It was mentioned earlier that the value of tourism to the economy was £1.5 billion. When we talk about that kind of figure on one side and an injection of about £1 million on the other, we see there is no balance there.

It behoves not just the Government but everybody in the area of tourism to put their shoulder to the wheel and support the Government in any way possible to exploit this very worthwhile and meaningful area of development. It is an area that can do wonders to remedy the many ills in our economy at present. We must, of course, have this overall plan to which I referred. If not, we will have nothing. It is essential that no stone is left unturned, that the Government, other agencies and people in every walk of life who are remotely connected with tourism, are involved in this scheme and that we develop the tourism potential.

Seasonality has been referred to. This is very important. Up to a few years ago we had some very bad summers and the pattern was that the tourist season lasted four or five months depending on the weather. However, in recent years, fortunately, our weather improved. The seasonality aspect can only be developed side by side with the development of indoor hobbies and indoor leisure pursuits which people can engage in when the weather is inclement. Reference was made here that today, 5 February, is an exceptionally mild day; but I do not think we could take that as typical of the weather at this time of year. We need to develop leisure pursuits that can be enjoyed in adverse and poor weather conditions. There are many possibilities for that.

There is one matter that is disturbing: I refer to the announcement today by the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications about the stop-over at Shannon. We have been repeatedly assured by the Minister and the Government that there would be no change in the status of Shannon. I believe it would be a very retrograde step to have any change in that position and I call strongly on the Government to stay with their stated policy in that regard. In the context of tourism alone, forgetting other lines of business, I am quite satisfied that many tourists come to Shannon Airport, they explore the regions not too far away from there, such as Connemara, Kerry, Cork, Tipperary, the midlands and so on and they do not, in many cases, get involved in the capital city of our country.

I believe the tourism aspect is one of the strong reasons the stated and restated position of Government with regard to the Shannon Airport situation should be maintained. It is extremely serious to read of a report now going to Cabinet which will in effect change the whole status of Shannon Airport. As a person living in the mid-western region, and as a person who worked with other colleagues from all parties for the future of Shannon Airport, it is a very disturbing matter to learn at this stage that there is a change envisaged. I appeal to the Minister at this stage to stay with the stated policy. We look forward to a continued successful, vibrant Shannon Airport and its hinterland in the context not alone of tourism but of industry as well.

Let us call a spade a spade. It is a long distance for people coming from various parts to Dublin to go to Connemara and Kerry whereas many of those people — and figures will substantiate this — would go directly to places like Kerry, Connemara, Cork and other parts of the north-western region and would not have occasion to come to Dublin. There are other arguments vis-a-vis the Dublin situation from the business point of view but, frankly, from a tourism point of view I submit it would be detrimental to go down that road.

I want to refer to agri-tourism because agri-tourism, in my view, is an absolutely essential ingredient in the future to help alleviate the declining incomes on Irish farms. It has done much already and it can do a great deal more. I believe we must work in that direction. Our main markets are Britain, Europe and North America. Bord Fáilte have been doing a good job but I believe the functions of Bord Fáilte should be extended. As I said earlier, there should be somebody appointed specifically and exclusively in charge of that matter at ministerial level, at senior level in the Cabinet, and finance should be made available.

I want now to deal with the matter of accommodation. In this country we have had a tendency to build many very upmarket hotels, particularly in the Dublin area, and in other parts too — hotels like the Hilton, the Berkeley Court, the Westbury and so on. I have nothing against hotels of that standard but when people come to this country they seem to be directed towards those hotels and they pay fairly handsomely for their accommodation, food and so on. In many cases they do not return. That is bad business where we lose customers on a permanent basis.

Equally, in the area of accommodation, I believe we should look at the practice in Europe and other parts of the world. For a husband and wife sharing a room in an Irish hotel the price is very often double the single price, or near enough to it, whereas in many of the continental countries and America the second person is charged only a nominal rate. This would help enormously. Remember — and we tend to forget this — these people coming to Ireland do not have unlimited resources. They must work within a certain budget. If we put them off once then they are people who are lost to us as future visitors. I welcome the task force which has been referred to earlier and I look forward with interest to seeing its precise function and work. I wish it well in its area of activities.

If the Government are serious about the development of tourism they should not limit Bord Fáilte, our tourist body, to such a small figure. They should not also in a national budget allocate what I would regard as a paltry sum of money, £1 million, for the development of tourism. Before I finish I want to say again, at the risk of being repetitive, that is a very retrograde step if what we read in the papers today vis-a-vis Shannon Airport is true. We have a vast area with magnificent tourist attractions in the midwest, the south and the north-west.

Finally, I would like to welcome the Minister to the House and I look forward with interest to his comments.

Mr. Foley

I wish to share my time with my colleague, Senator Hugh Byrne. I second the motion. It is very appropriate that we have the Minister, Deputy Lyons, here tonight. He has played a major part in promoting tourism since he came to office and I wish to avail of this opportunity to congratulate him. I can assure him that within the industry and especially in Kerry his personal involvement is very much appreciated. Over the past number of years he has been a frequent visitor at various tourist-related functions and also on holidays with his wife.

While tourism is a tremendous success, we must still move forward as the potential for growth in this sector is tremendous. In this step forward we must include the regional organisations. I include SFADCo also because we in north Kerry are part of that region. While one must welcome the new approach of Bord Fáilte to regional tourism organisations, if there is to be a genuine willingness to devote increased responsibilities to the RTOs in developing and marketing there must be an equal readiness to hand over funds to implement this new policy. Over the past five years regions have experienced a sharp reduction in Bord Fáilte's allocation of funds in all areas, thus eroding the credibility and effectiveness of the regions. At the same time, in the past three years the regions have increased income from commercial activities by 140 per cent. Therefore, asking the regions to demonstrate their success in achieving worth-while growth in tourism revenue and, at the same time, denying them the right to direct marketing and promotional campaigns in the market areas is a base contradiction.

Over the years Bord Fáilte has failed to achieve any increased participation by the private sector in expanding the tourism industry. Having reduced the role of the RTOs in most areas of marketing, this has created a difficulty in stimulating the private sector to any level of success. Because of budget restraints, in particular Bord Fáilte's attitude towards the regions' role in marketing, it was inevitable that local interests, such as local tourism groups, local authorities and all other organisations went about doing their own thing and ignored the RTOs. This is not in the best interests of the industry. At this time co-ordination is essential.

As regards overlapping by state agencies, this was also inevitable and became increasingly obvious with Bord Fáilte staff in particular when engaged in responsibilities with the regions. Therefore, the present perception of the overall effectiveness of the regions appear good to Bord Fáilte but poor to the public. The reduction of funds by Bord Fáilte to the regions is the greatest militating fact in this regard.

One has to look at the success of tourism in general in 1991, but I would like to make special mention to the success of the Cork-Swansea ferry which carried approximately 135,000 visitors and in excess of 30,000 cars during the 1991 season. One has to contrast this with the situation of some five years ago when the Minister of the day decided to bring in consultants to do a feasibility study to see if it would be a viable proposition to adopt this route. These consultants reported back to the Minister and made it very clear to him that it was not a viable proposition to adopt this route. Thankfully, the Minister ignored this report and he allowed the local authorities to become involved.

The local authorities of Cork and Kerry decided to set up a board and made the necessary funding available with the co-operation of the Government. In particular, Minister Lyons, who comes from Cork, played a major part in the formation of this company because three years ago he was instrumental in getting a grant of £500,000 plus a loan of £500,000 which helped this company to get off the ground. The first year showed a loss of almost £1 million, the second year — with the aid of a grant of £500,000 and a loan of £500,000 from the Government — showed a loss of almost £500,000. However, 1991 was the crunch year and figures will be released shortly which will show a massive turnabout and that there will be profits for the season in excess of £800,000. This to me is a tremendous achievement.

There is no doubt that we can be proud of the success of tourism. I want to compliment my colleague, Senator Mooney on the points he made, which were very important. The recent report commissioned by the Tourism Industry Confederation highlighted many important aspects of the progress and the success of tourism. It pointed out that between 1985 and 1990 tourism grew twice as fast as the national economy and its share of gross national product increased by almost 7 per cent. Tourism now contributes more than £400 million to the overall balance of payment surplus even when allowance is made for foreign holidays by Irish residents.

I would like to refer to the success of tourism where Kerry is concerned. We are certainly very proud of our success in tourism in Kerry which is the leading tourist/holiday county in Ireland. Tourism is now the county's most important industry and the estimated income from tourism in 1991 for the county is £145 million. At this stage it is in excess of the income from agriculture, the county's main income source heretofore. Employment in the tourism sector in Kerry is estimated at 7,500, some 17.5 per cent of the labour force. This signifies the importance of tourism to the economy of the county. Kerry on its own has more rented accommodation and derives more revenue from tourism than many of the existing regions, let alone counties.

We have a major expansion of Kerry Airport at Farranfore costing approximately £12.5 million — again thanks to the Government. The extended airport will enable jet aircraft to fly direct from continental Europe. Short stay tourist traffic is seen as a major element of the increased airport activity. The consultants to the airport have estimated that 200,000 passengers would use the extended airport on an annual basis by the year 2000 and that ten years later this number would have increased to approximately 371,000 passengers per year.

Mr. H. Byrne

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Lyons, to the House this evening and, like my colleague, Senator Foley, I would like to thank the Minister for this genuine interest in tourism. He came to Wexford on several occasions. I wish him continued success in his portfolio.

I am sure Members will forgive me if I mention the sunny south-east, which is where I am from, and to say that Wexford has the most sunshine and the least rainfall in the country, which must, of itself be a major attraction. These facts can be proved by studying the statistics available.

There are many things I could say about Wexford which Senators may not be aware of, because we are in our infancy as regards tourism. About one and a half million people come through Rosslare port each year and it is now firmly established as one of the leading ports in Europe. It is the intention of the Wexford people to encourage those people on their way to Kerry and other places and on the way back to visit our area. It is estimated that each of the tourists coming into the country brings in about £600 on average. That shows the amount of money that is spent. I agree wholeheartedly with my colleague, Senator Foley, when he says that the potential in tourism is not tapped.

Unfortunately, we have too little time here to discuss the matter in full this evening. The point I make to add to that already made in relation to Wexford is that heretofore we depended on agriculture for employment. Basically employment was mainly on the farm and in the agricultural services industry. Since the early eighties when agriculture started to decline — in fact, I would have to say the services industry completely collapsed — we have had to find jobs for those people who had been displaced. We intend in a major way to tap the tourism market but I have to say there are not sufficient bed spaces. We must provide amenities. Kerry is in the fortunate position of having natural amenities.

The National Heritage Park in Wexford attracts about 120,000 people per year. It is a fantastic heritage park and is well worth a visit by Senators and others who have not been to it.

Mr. Mooney

Is that a personal invitation?

Mr. H. Byrne

It is. I would be only too delighted to give the Senator a tour of the park any time. Another project in Wexford is the coastal park for south Wexford. That project is running into some difficulty because the proposers forgot there were people already living in the area. While I respect environmentalists and those who promote the green image, we must never forget that people living in the area must come first. I ask the Minister to tell the people of Wexford that no coastal park will be imposed on them. We want a debate on this matter. We want what is best for both sides but we do not want anything imposed on us that will damage employment in the area.

People in County Wexford are worried about coastal erosion as, I am sure, are people living in all coastal counties. The experts predict that with global warming, the tide will rise by several feet within the next ten years and that will exacerbate the problem. I wonder if the Department are monitoring the situation. Have we control over this? Are we making provision for it?

Mr. Cassidy

I endorse everything that was said by other speakers. I am heavily involved in the tourism industry which, as Senator Mooney said, provides 80,000 full time jobs. One in every 14 workers is employed in tourism. Between 1988 and 1992 there was a 15 per cent increase in the the number of foreign tourists coming to this country.

Senator Mooney mentioned the emigrant market and I could not agree with his comments more. Entertainers are great ambassadors. I want to pay tribute to our soccer team. They too were great ambassadors and did us all proud. I look forward to our athletes taking part in the Olympic Games this year because when the Irish go abroad they are our ambassadors. I realise that anyone from the State of Maryland who comes here as a tourist can be made an honorary ambassador and is given literature etc., to promote this country when they return home. The Department, the Minister and Bord Fáilte are to be congratulated. The write and invite campaign was a novel idea and an enormous success.

Ireland is predominantly an all weather sport country. There has been a massive growth in such sports as golf and fishing. These attractions have enormous potential, unlike Canada and other countries where there is snow for four or five months of the year. Ireland is well placed geographically and has its place in Europe. The wealth of our culture, the warmth of our people and their hospitality will not be found in many other countries.

Previous speakers pointed out that many tourists stay in certain chain hotels. That does not happen by accident. It is the result of careful marketing by these groups in America, Australia, Canada and Europe. They organise tourists to come here. They got experience in other countries and then came here and built massive hotels with every modern facility. I pay tribute to the late P.V. Doyle who saw what was happening around the world and then provided the necessary facilities here.

We should investigate the possibility of eliminating VAT on admission charges to places of historical, cultural or educational importance, for example, museums and novel attractions such as circuses. These are all-weather tourist attractions and, as such, are important.

Mr. B. Ryan

I have mixed views about tourism. I see the good it can do for those of us who are in a position to travel and for those who can sometimes gain work but I am profoundly sceptical about its capacity to generate jobs which give people income, security and dignity. I am also profoundly sceptical about the impact of large scale tourism on our environment which, in many ways, is self-defeating. By its nature it will destroy much of the appeal which creates a worth-while tourist industry. These are issues that need to be addressed in the apparent rush to spend large amounts of money on interpretative centres and such like. They are issues that are rarely addressed because we are supposed to be pro-job creation.

My view is that the west would be far better served by a dynamic fishing industry based on a natural resource which we should own but which we gave away, which would produce perhaps seven onshore jobs for every job at sea and which would produce well paid, secure work and the dignity that goes with it instead of the pretend jobs that are generated during the tourist season. They may well put a few bob in the pockets of individual families who provide bed and breakfast accommodation or run some small enterprise that lasts for a couple of months, but will not ensure a livelihood for somebody who has no other source of income.

I am sceptical about the jobs that are created in many of the tourist resorts. The one I know best is Corca Dhuibhne and I am sceptical about the number of full-time as distinct from seasonal jobs. The extra revenue is more than welcome to people who are desperately short of money but it is no solution for real work. It does not guarantee a future for many of the young people in those areas.

I am also worried about how we sell ourselves. If we are uncertain about who we are it is extremely difficult to sell ourselves as unique and different. There was a survey published in the last number of years which suggested that many potential tourists from the Continent saw Ireland as a particularly bland country without much to distinguish it. That is not true but many of those who form our opinions have lost contact with what is unique about this country as have many who are involved in the tourist industry.

The last time I travelled to the United States with Aer Lingus the offering of what masqueraded as Irish music was an offence. I have no objection to the kind of music that was played. People are entitled to their choice but to pretend to tourists that what they were offered was representative of real Irish music was a distortion beyond belief and a reflection on those who put it together. If we do not understand what is good about ourselves, we will not be able to persuade tourists to come here.

What bothers me is that instead of appreciating our unique qualities and attracting tourists who have a sense of discrimination, we are aping the mass tourism of other regions. In the process, for the sake of a short term killing if we are lucky with the weather and the economic situation in other countries, we will turn ourselves into a developed wasteland of over-developed tourism which will gradually frighten away any future discriminating tourists. We will end up in the worst of both worlds and many of our resources will have been destroyed.

A classic example which will do precisely that is the proposed second marina in Dingle. It was an issue which could not generate in a public inquiry the support of more than two citizens of the town. So many people from the town wanted to object to it that the chairman of the inquiry asked that they should not all insist on giving evidence because it would be very time consuming and would cost too much. Those decent people, in an effort to be helpful, decided not to participate in the inquiry. They are not indiscriminately hostils to tourism as is evidenced by their support, for instance, for the Fundúireacht na mBlascaodaí project in Corca Dhuibhne where the local people can clearly see the difference between worth-while and worthless development.

In contrast, the local community are overwhelmingly hostile to a proposal which will hand over 22 acres of what should be public property in Dingle Harbour to a developer and allow him to build a private marina with 30 or 40 accommodation units with space for 60 sailing boats, and another marina is being provided by the State. If we do this most of the discriminating tourists who come to the area because of its uniqueness will say, to hell with it; this area is like everywhere on the west coast of Europe; we will find somewhere different which has something unique to offer. If that is the way extra money is expended, it is ridiculous.

The decision in Dingle is an affront to the people there who know their area better than any inspector from Dublin. It is an affront to good tourism, good planning and the unique beauty of that area. The way the decision was reached has and continues to have the stench of political influence about it. I resent it as one who has a long attachment to that area.

I do not own a yacht so this marina will not affect me one way or the other. I do not have any desire to own a yacht and I have no objections to those who do, but I object to one of the most beautiful places in the world being handed over to a private developer for reasons that do not stand up to objective assessment. Apparently the Minister for the Marine thinks it is in the public interest to do this, even though it is manifestly against the wishes of the people who have to live with it. That is not the way to develop the tourist industry or that area. We should have a belief in ourselves, a willingness to keep ourselves as we want and we should not make ourselves into anything other than what we want to be.

There is a list of minor grievances I articulate year after year when we discuss tourism — for example, the apparent unwillingness of many who run small enterprises to appreciate that perhaps tourists come here to find something different and would appreciate something better than the music offered in virtually every coffee shop and pub on the west coast which consists of turning on 2FM and leaving it on for the day. Perhaps people would like to hear music that will make them aware that they are in a different country, understanding different people with different feelings, speaking a different language — another unique characteristic. Perhaps Killarney should avoid such offensive sounding names as the Nashville guesthouse when it is supposed to be the symbol of all that is uniquely and beautifully Irish. Not just the State but those who want to invest in tourism should realise that there are good commercial reasons for developing a sense of ourselves and a sense of our own uniqueness. We must not forget that in the rush to increase tourist numbers. What we want are people who have a clear idea of why they come here and who appreciate what is unique about this country.

There are many sad stories about other countries, for example the tribesmen of some rural areas of Kenya, some of the most dignified people, who are reduced to standing at the side of the road in full regalia to be photographed by tourists and the kind and gentle people of many of the more remote countries of Asia who have been swept into the most appalling forms of mass tourism.

Like all forms of development, the unqualified rush to develop tourism by building based on the assessments of the Office of Public Works who do not have to through the normal planning process unless they so choose, based on decisions often taken by people far removed from where these developments take place, amounts to potential disaster which will frighten off many of those we want to attract. It may create a short term boom but in the end it will leave us with masses of concrete in many of our most beautiful areas with no tourists, no industry and ultimately no people.

Mr. D. Kiely

I thank the Minister and the Minister of State for their interest in tourism and for the work they have done. I do not agree with everything Senator Ryan said about more accommodation ruining the countryside. With proper planning, that is, providing green areas, etc., our scenery will not be raped. In the present climate, the only avenue for real growth and job creation is in the tourist business and special emphasis should be placed on tourism.

In 1991 we had the Gulf War but the number of tourists visiting our country held and the figures are there to prove what they meant to the Exchequer. In Kerry we failed to attract the industry needed to provide employment and the only avenue open to us is tourism. The business expansion scheme introduced in the budget two years ago was exploited. That should be reintroduced for tourist-related projects. Many people took advantage of it at the time to instal proper indoor facilities, such as swimming pools, saunas and so on. Seaside resorts have been badly affected by bad weather. Some new scheme will have to be introduced to bring some vitality back to the dying trade in these resorts. The season could be reduced to four or five weeks but a couple of bad week-ends could mean a bad season. Yet these people are expected to pay rates, insurance, etc. Perhaps the Government could introduce a rates and tax relief system over a 15 or 20 year period for traders in seaside resorts which would enable them to put money back into the resorts. Then the local authorities could put money back into the towns by building proper facilities so that, in the event of bad weather, traders would not lose business.

Golfing is a new sport in Ireland but there are others, like water sports which could be developed. I do not agree with what Senator Ryan said about the second marina in Dingle. I would not mind if there were ten marinas in Dingle because then there would be at least ten people promoting tourism.

Mr. B. Ryan

The people in Dingle would.

Mr. D. Kiely

I was in Sicily last August and 38 different marinas were being developed on that small island. At present there is a marina in Kilrush but there is a need for more marinas along our coast. There is great need for a marina in the Tarbert-Ballylongford-Balybunion area. Many people are interested in walking and water sport holidays. These are natural amenities in this country and much more emphasis will have to be placed on this growth area.

In Kerry, 17.5 per cent of the work-force are involved in the tourism business; in north Kerry, no jobs have been created in the industrial area in the past number of years. However, since we joined the Shannon development scheme some jobs have been created. We have become more tourist-orientated in the northern part of the county even though we do not have the scenery of south Kerry, west Clare or west Cork but we have real items of interest. We have archaeological sites, museums and ring forts. These are of great interest to European and American tourists. Statistics show that tourists visiting Ireland only spend one and a half days in County Kerry. Any tourist coming to County Kerry could easily spend a week there and enjoy it. We must encourage tourists to spend more time in the area.

I do not agree with the proposal to overfly Shannon. I hope that region will be protected because it would be a catastrophe for the area if that proposal were agreed. That service and the Swansea car ferry from a tourist point of view, are keeping life in the region. People on a package tour spend a week and a half in the UK, but only a week in Ireland. They may spend a day and a half or two days in Dublin and then go to Wicklow, Wexford, and west Cork and by the time they get to Kerry, it is time for them to go home.

There is need for extra accommodation and smaller guest houses must be brought up to proper standards; a new type of grant system will have to be introduced to bring accommodation up to standard.

I have travelled quite a bit in my time. I was in Sicily and Malta last year but nowhere was there accommodation as good as it is in Ireland. Nowhere are the facilities as good as they are in Ireland. We are on a par if not ahead of most countries but we must do more. There is potential for growth in this area. Many people have not discovered Ireland. There was a study carried out in France recently which showed that 65 or 70 per cent of French people did not know where Ireland was. Another vital statistic is that only 5 per cent of the American people own passports. I do not think our landscape will ever be destroyed. Our season is short but we must try to extend it.

The Minister should take into account the fact that the tourism industry is outstripping the agricultural industry in County Kerry. This country is seen as stable and safe and that is why people come for that reason.

Mr. Staunton

I am pleased to contribute to this debate. It is interesting to hear the contributions of those from the traditional tourist regions, particularly Kerry.

I live in a major tourist area, in Westport, County Mayo. I looked at the statistics issued by Bord Fáilte. I grew up in a region where tourism did not exist and I saw it grow through the voluntary efforts of local committees into a major money spinner. I am very proud that, if one excludes Dublin, the region defined as the west runs very close to the south-west when it comes to numbers of visitors and the money they spend.

Around west Mayo this summer it was amazing to see, for example, Italians driving Fiats with registrations from Rome, Bologna, Milan and Venice. It is remarkable to reflect that a young couple in a little Fiat might have driven all the way from Palermo, Sicily, to spend a holiday in Westport County Mayo. Somebody somehwere must take credit for that.

I agree completely with the comments made by Senator Cassidy about the debt we owe the people who travel abroad and are seen as ambassadors for this country. He also mentioned Irish culture, Irish music and Irish groups, such as the Chieftians. We still have strange attitudes in this country. There is a kind of pseudomentality among so many of our Irish people living in this country, who might deem themselves to be well educated, who look with disdain on this native culture.

Debate adjourned.

An Leas-Chathaoirleach

When is it proposed to sit again?

Mr. Mooney

Tomorrow at 10.30 a.m.