SELECT COMMITTEE ON TOURISM, SPORT and RECREATION debate -
Thursday, 3 Dec 1998

Vol. 1 No. 3

Report of Select Committee.

Chairman

I propose the following draft report:

The Select Committee has considered the following Supplementary Estimate for Public Services for the service of the year ending 31 December 1998: Vote 35 (Tourism, Sport and Recreation) (Supplementary Estimate).

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Report agreed to.

Ordered to report to the Dáil accordingly.

On behalf of the committee, staff and members, I thank the Minister and his officials for their co-operation with us during the year. We had a very busy year. A copy of our report is about to be published. We have co-operated with you in the knowledge that there is a separation between the Oireachtas and the Executive. We have had a good relationship on all matters that came before us for consideration during the year and I thank the Minister for that. I also take the opportunity to wish members and staff season's greetings because we will not hold another meeting before Christmas.

Dr. McDaid

I thank you, Sir, and the committee for your co-operation. It has been a busy year and not all of it has been easy; there have been difficulties and we have overcome them together. I want to thank you, especially, Chairman, for facilitating me with meetings at various times. That would have been impossible, of course, without other members of the committee being present also.

Since 1989, tourism has benefited greatly from European Union funding. Huge changes have taken place since then not only in tourism but also in other areas as a result of EU Structural and Cohesion funding.

Politicians can take a bow in that regard. I am sure they would all agree it would have been impossible without what I would describe as the best civil servants in the world. Some of them are accompanying me today, while others are in my Department and scattered across all the other Departments. While various political parties have been in Government over the past ten years, I am sure everyone would agree that we have the best civil servants in the world.

I wish you all a happy Christmas.

The Select Committee adjourned at 4.20 p.m. sine die.