When one considers the European Regional Development Fund programme under the Operational Programme for Tourism, the money is being spent and allocated for the provision of facilities which deal with all year personnel. The provision of leisure complexes, hotel accommodation and other tourism facilities are very important in this context.
The Minister of State is dealing with the domestic tourism market, which is worth over £600 million per year. I have succeeded in having £500,000 allocated for the promotion of this area. When one considers the position of those who leave the country on their holidays every year and those who visit the country and spend their money, it would be a much more lucrative operation if everybody at home was persuaded to take their holidays here, which is not possible.
The European Regional Development Fund funds are important, with private investment, for creating facilities that last, available all year and of the necessary standard. There is then the home holiday marketing initiative which is the responsibility of the Minister of State.
The money allocated for the Ballintubber initiative, as the Deputy correctly calls it, will not deal with the provision of the events; it is only as an assistance and promotion for them. A detailed timetable and agenda have been worked out for this on which I place great emphasis because when we asked the tourism council and the practitioners in the tourism industry to give us a range of ideas and initiatives that they would see as important for the tourism industry, the music theme was a common denominator to many of them. I hope that it will prove successful as an experiment and that it will become established on the Irish market as being an international musical month leading up to the St. Patrick's day festival when it can come to a successful conclusion.