Will the Minister agree that many of the issues dealt with by the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht also come within the ambit of the Department of the Marine? Will the Minister further agree that because tourism has become such a huge money earner it is time it was dealt with by one Department? So far as the Constitution is concerned I presume that the Minister is referring to is that it is for the Taoiseach to decide after the next election if there should be a stand alone Department.
With the prospect of 4.5 million visitors this year, it will not be long before the tourism industry is bigger than agriculture. Does the Minister agree it is time to at least consider the possibility of a stand alone department for tourism and that trade should be sidelined to another Department?