Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 22 Oct 1998

Vol. 495 No. 6

Tourist Traffic Bill, 1998: Second Stage (Resumed).

Question again proposed: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

Mr. Crawford

One area of this industry that is causing great concern is small family owned hotels. I do not accuse the Minister of sole responsibility for the problems in this area because I also tried to get his predecessor to take a more serious view of the matter. It is unfair that family owned businesses such as these, many of which have been owned by the same family for generations, cannot get the necessary help to upgrade their premises and compete with larger concerns which have received grant aid through different structures. If the Government is to be even handed in its dealings, it is essential that this group is looked after by whatever means are available.

I referred last Tuesday to the problem of roads, particularly the lack of progress on the N2 with regard to improvements and by-passes. Today, I wish to put on record the marked improvement that has taken place in county roads in the region, especially in Cavan-Monaghan. The previous Government more than doubled the funds available to those areas and, thankfully, the current Government has continued that policy. The improvements certainly make life easier for people who live there.

This is an even more important development from the point of view of tourism. Tourists will no longer be stuck in potholes and ditches because of dreadful roads. If we are to promote inland fisheries, particularly on the lakes and rivers in the Cavan-Monaghan area, the regional, county and by-roads are extremely important. I urge the Minister to ensure that the increase in funding in the past three years is maintained and that further increases are made. If significant progress is to be made to prepare these areas for the next century, particularly when there is reasonable funding available both through Europe and as a result of our buoyant economy, it is important that road infrastructure is developed.

The road from the west through Clones and Monaghan to Omagh is as important as the road from Donegal and Derry to Dublin. These are the two main axis routes that pass through Monaghan town. The Omagh road will be extremely important if tourists are to be brought to Monaghan through Belfast, Larne and Stranraer.

Tourism in Monaghan is in its infancy. There are no tourist figures available for Monaghan, as the county tourism officer confirmed to me this morning. The only figures available relate to the north-west region, which comprises Cavan-Monaghan, Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim. The Minister will be relieved to hear that the figures indicate that 70 per cent of visitors to the region visit Donegal. That shows how difficult the situation is for the tourism industry in Cavan and Monaghan. Another large percentage of those tourists visit Sligo as well, so only a small percentage visit Cavan, Monaghan and Leitrim.

These counties have a long way to go. They must seek more aid for their promotion, independent of the region, in the tourism market. There are unique tourism possibilities in Cavan and Monaghan. There is potential in working through cross-Border groups, such as the eastern and mid-Border regions. More money should be invested in those sectors to ensure the area gets its fair share of the national tourism cake, which is extremely impressive at present. Unless that income is spread more evenly, the lot of those who are committed to tourism in the Border area will not be improved.

The Minister spoke about extending the holiday season. Of relevance in this regard are the St. Patrick's Day parades and celebrations and the local organisations which are involved in them. Through the activities of its county council and other organisations, Monaghan has built up strong relationships with parts of Canada and North America. This morning I learned that 50 people in New Brunswick have organised to come to Monaghan to help us celebrate St. Patrick's Day next year. At present a group from Monaghan is in Toronto and Peterborough trying to attract visitors. In the Prince Edward Island-New Brunswick area we are talking about people who left Ireland in the 17th and 18th centuries. People think most emigrants left Ireland as a result of the Famine, but those people left long before the Famine. The fourth and fifth generations of descendants still want to know about their Irish roots. The President spoke in Ballybay yesterday morning, and she has just returned from Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. She referred to the fact that there are so many Irish placenames in Canada such as Emyvale, Inniskeen and Ballybay. In the Peterborough area there is North Monaghan, South Monaghan and Cavan. I spoke once to over 100 people in the vocational school in Bailieboro, South Monaghan, Toronto, not in Cavan, Ireland. The postmistress there sometimes gets letters for Cavan in Ireland rather than Cavan in Canada.

We must spend money in promoting our activities among the descendants of those who went to New Brunswick in the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as among those who went to Toronto in the early part of this century. The latter group is now retired and many of them live in Peterborough. They want to come back to Ireland, and tour operators in Canada are willing to set up charter flights for them. We must do what we can through Bord Fáilte and other agencies to facilitate them, as it does not suit elderly people to go from Peterborough to Toronto, fly to London and then get another flight to Ireland. If we can get them to come directly from Toronto to Aldergrove airport, for example, then we have a much better chance of co-operation with our friends and colleagues in the North. The situation in New Brunswick is even worse, as people must get a flight to Halifax or Toronto first before flying to London in order to come to Ireland.

We must look at these issues if we are to realise our tourism potential. The President not only remarked on placenames but pointed out that one finds Irish names such as McKenna and Traynor in Canada. The Peterborough newspaper carried an article about the visit I and my group made there. We visited the Lord Mayor's chamber one morning and an old man was waiting outside the chamber who had left Monaghan at 13. He just wanted to meet some friends from Monaghan, as he said. Even at his great age he is considering a visit to Ireland. This can have a spin-off effect if we use it properly.

The Minister is doing his bit in Cabinet to ensure that we get Objective One status, which is very important to the future of the Border and western regions. There are major structural and aid deficits in our area and Objective One status gives us an opportunity to come into line with the rest of the country. It is amazing to see the number of new hotels going up in Dublin, particularly those of the bigger consortiums. However, one worries about the prices some of these groups charge, as overcharging will militate against return business. Objective One status will provide better grant structures for our region that will allow facilities to be brought up to the standard necessary for the next century.

The Leader, INTERREG and EU Peace and Reconciliation initiatives as well as the enterprise boards have helped, but in my experience there are so many committee structures involved with these programmes that there can be long delays in getting projects off the ground. I hope that the new structures brought in after 1999 will mean that those regimes will be examined to ensure that areas get those funds as additional rather than replacement moneys. I also hope we get them in the simplest possible way. I know there must be accountability, which I favour, but if there are different groups such as INTERREG and the International Fund for Ireland involved a proposal can go from one committee to another before losing out.

The Tidy Towns competition has played a major role in improving the appearance of our towns and villages. That body and FÁS have been brilliant in helping our towns and villages enter the next century in good order, not derelict as they have been for the last 50 years. I pay tribute to all those involved in the Tidy Towns groups as well as FÁS for using the talents of people who were unemployed but who may now get jobs as a result of these schemes. That can only improve the country's economy.

Mr. M. Kitt

I wish to share my time with Deputy Hanafin.

An Ceann Comhairle

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Mr. M. Kitt

I welcome this Bill, which increases the statutory limit on the aggregate amount of grant-in-aid that may be paid to Bord Fáilte to support tourism capital development works from £22 million to £50 million. I congratulate the Minister on providing an additional £5 million for special international marketing on a specific regional basis. The western region has been provided with £185,000 for 1998, and that is the first time I have been aware of marketing money being spent in the west. This is very important. The activities the Minister mentioned, such as angling, golf, equestrian sports and walking holidays, are available throughout the whole country, but we have been marketing only the well known places for too long. I am glad that money is now being spent on areas like east Galway and other parts of Connacht and the northwest that were not marketed in the past. Facilities like the new interpretative centre in Aughrim, County Galway, have been well marketed and have proven very popular with tourists, together with golf courses, equestrian centres and the attractions of the rivers Suck and Shannon. It is important to continue this so that when we link up with Shannon, our nearest international airport, tourists do not just go to Connemara but to other areas in the west. For example, the interpretative centre that deals with the Battle of Aughrim is a great way for children to learn about the history of the area. It is welcome that the benefits of the growth of tourism are spreading throughout the whole island.

The cost of car hire is an area that concerns me. The difficulties for tourists are obvious. At Dublin Airport the signs for western routes are very poor. The Government should examine that problem with a view to resolving it. There is almost a conspiracy to bring people into Dublin city. The sooner we have a rail link to Dublin Airport, the better, but we should have an improvement in road signs in the meantime.

On the question of rail links, the Minister will be aware that the railway from Sligo to Limerick is in a bad state of repair. The line is used mostly for pilgrimage traffic although increasingly it is being used for the carriage of timber to plants in Clonmel and the Louisiana Pacific plant in Waterford. More money should be spent on this type of rail link, which is a both a regional and European rail link because Sligo-Limerick-Rosslare is a European route. Tourists arriving in Rosslare, many without transport, complain about the difficulty in getting to the western region because of the lack of public transport. Tourists have to go to Dublin to get train connections to the west.

The Minister referred to the draft discussion document on the development of tourism in the next round of EU Structural Funds. While it is important to obtain Objective One status for the western, Border and midland regions, we must also get the funding necessary for infrastructure in the area. The progress of the peace process is important also in the context of the Structural Funds. The Minister should be congratulated on his preparations in that regard.

I welcome the funding given by successive Governments for the seaside resorts initiative, although I am aware there has been a conflict of opinion on the building of holiday homes and apartments in tourism areas. Some local authorities were successful in planning these apartments and holiday homes but unfortunately others were not. Criticism has been expressed that many holiday homes are vacant for most of the year, while too many holiday homes and apartments have been built in some areas.

That brings me to the question of the holiday season, to which other speakers referred. In some areas of the country the holiday season is short, although Galway is a good example of a city where some form of tourism event or festival takes place from St. Patrick's Day until the end of the year. Planning for these events is done on a continuing basis and Galway should be congratulated on that.

I support the small, family owned hotels which are the equivalent of small industries in many towns throughout the country. They employ many staff and are a type of social centre for both young and old because of the no name clubs, discos, and various meetings held in them. These hotels need support. In the past they were not given adequate funds for marketing.

I understand Dublin Corporation has a proposal for a hotel tax about which the Irish Hotels Federation is extremely annoyed. The federation has a point because it is not fair that hoteliers should pay this tax when, for example, publicans and other business people in Dublin city who benefit from tourism will not have to pay it.

A similar proposal was made regarding a £1 levy on visitors to the Aran Islands but that case is slightly different because the people living on the Aran Islands felt something should be done to provide a waste disposal system on the island. I understand there is a proposal currently before Galway County Council to bring all the refuse to the town of Ballinasloe, including waste from the Aran Islands. It is important that this matter be resolved as quickly as possible.

The real difficulty on the Aran Islands is the shortage of accommodation. Tourists visit the area on day trips but fewer people stay on the islands because of the shortage of accommodation. That is also a difficulty in many parts of rural Ireland because there is insufficient marketing of short-term breaks to attract people to the western region. Will the Minister ensure that some money is spent on this type of marketing?

Additional money should be spent on regional airports. More air carriers are needed at airports like Shannon and the international airport at Knock. In my county of Galway, enormous benefit would be obtained if better road links could be provided to Shannon, our nearest international airport, and the airport at Knock.

A great deal of money is spent on Dublin Airport which serves all the major air carriers and now has a new terminal. When I visited Dublin Airport recently, there were five car parks in operation. I welcome the enormous development taking place there but I hope that will not mean other airports throughout the country will be forgotten because these airports have proven to be very beneficial for industry and for people commuting to Dublin and on to the United Kingdom. More money should be spent on these airports.

I welcome the proposals set out by the Minister in relation to EU Structural Funds and also the announcement made in August of £1.6 million in EU grant-aid for tourism projects countrywide. I particularly welcome the fact that £65,000 will be provided for the Inisbofin Activity Centre. I hope the Minister continues to promote the islands and the gaeltacht areas which are important. I welcome also the Minister's announcement of grant assistance of £100,000 for the Shannon Oaks Hotel and Leisure Centre in Portumna, County Galway.

Ms Hanafin

I welcome the Bill and the capability it will give Bord Fáilte of spending up to £50 million on capital projects. That is an acknowledgement of the value of the work of Bord Fáilte but, more particularly, of the value to Ireland of the tourism industry which is fast becoming our largest industry. When one considers that ten years ago we had 2.5 million visitors and that we now have five million, with revenue of £3 billion annually, it proves that the direction we took five or six years ago in developing our infrastructure is now paying dividends. It is also encouraging that, despite some of the difficulties the country faced this year, our targets are already up by 11 per cent.

That is the reason we should focus on the role of Bord Fáilte in helping the tourism industry. Given that the money available to Bord Fáilte under this scheme is for capital projects, it is important to highlight the need for proper signs in towns, villages and cities. We seldom see adequate signs for art galleries, museums, heritage centres or other attractions. Despite the fact that we are in the Houses of Parliament, Oireachtas Éireann, I do not know if there is a sign anywhere in the city indicating where one might find Leinster House, unlike other capital cities where all roads lead to parliament. It might be difficult to get in at the gate and it is certainly difficult to get a seat here. If tourists are coming they should be able to observe this beautiful House, formerly owned by the Earl of Kildare.

In many areas, particularly around Dublin, there are signs indicating where you are going but not where you are. You know you are in Blackrock because there is a sign for Blackrock Shopping Centre. You know you are in Sallynoggin because of the pub, The Noggin Inn. You must be in Deansgrange if you are going past the cemetery. If the local pub happens to be called the Wicked Wolf or the Horse and Hound, where are you? There are no signs around the villages of Dublin to tell you where you are. There is an area called Kill-o'-the-Grange in my constituency. It has two churches — a Church of Ireland and a Catholic Church — and a Garda station but there is no sign to indicate it is Kill-o'-the-Grange.

To advise people where they are, Bord Fáilte should encourage expenditure on signage, particularly around the Dublin area.

Agus mé ag caint ar na comharthaí sin agus ar chomharthaí bóithre ba mhaith liom aird a dhíriú freisin ar an nGaeilge, ar easpa Gaeilge nó droch Ghaeilge a bhíonn le feiceáil ins na comharthaí bóithre sin. Is minic a bhíonn dhá mhíniú difriúil le feiceáil ar dhá thaobh den bhóthar céanna. Smaoiním, mar shampla, ar "Ascal Dhún Chéirigh" ar thaobh amháin nó "Ascal Dhún an Charúin" ar an taobh eile. Nuair a thagann tú isteach chomh fada le Leeson Street feiceann tú "Sráid Chill Mhochairgáin Uacht" ar thaobh amháin agus "Sráid Líosáin" ar an taobh eile. Ní ceart go mbeadh sin ar siúl, mar tá stair, cultúr agus eolas na háite le feiceáil ins na logainmneacha agus ins na comharthaí bóithre.

Nuair a fhéachann tú ar áit cosúil le Foster Avenue, fear ba ea é Foster, ach an Ghaeilge atá ar an áit ná Gleann na Mine atá i bhfad níos áilne agus i bhfad níos cruinne don áit mar a bhíodh fadó. Ba mhaith liom freisin go mbeadh Gaeilge le feiceáil ins na hainmneacha dos na heastáit nua, eastáit tithíochta. Smaoiním ar áiteacha ar nós Monaloe nó Meadow Vale, ainmneacha álainn ach níl aon Ghaeilge le feiceáil iontu. Molaim do Bhord Fáilte airgead a chaitheamh ar an nGaeilge a úsáid sna comharthaí bóithre chun na logainmneacha áitiúla a chaomhnú.

Dún Laoghaire, which it is my pleasure to represent, is a seaside town, a resort in its own right which has about 150,000 to 170,000 day visitors each year travelling on the Stena Line and countless visitors coming by car. The first thing you see when you get off the boat is a sign to tell you how to get out of Dún Laoghaire. There is a large green sign which shows Belfast to the North, Galway to the west and Cork to the South. Surely people should be encouraged to stay in Dún Laoghaire when they arrive.

On the far side of the sea in Holyhead one can buy an inclusive ticket for the boat and train to a city centre. If Bord Fáilte is to respond properly to the needs of local areas it should encourage people to stay in and around their landing point of Dún Laoghaire.

If you follow the small sign "tourist office" and arrive at the Bord Fáilte office you will find it is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., six days per week. The first boat arrives at 6.05 a.m. — four hours before the tourist office opens. The last boat arrives at 8.05 p.m., two hours after the office has closed. What kind of service is Bord Fáilte providing to visitors arriving in Dún Laoghaire? If you wish to telephone the local Bord Fáilte office you cannot do so. It does not have a direct line and one can only get through to a central Dublin office. It will make the reservations and provide basic information. I telephoned the office yesterday to ask for basic tourist information about the Dún Laoghaire area. It was able to give me phone numbers to contact the Dalkey Heritage Centre because it did not know the opening times. It was not able to tell me about forthcoming events, such as the Dún Laoghaire 1500. It was able to list the events which had taken place but that is not much use to a tourist coming to Dún Laoghaire in October 1998.

A local tourist office, properly manned with a direct telephone line, would be able to give this information and everything should not be channelled through a central Dublin office. Bord Fáilte is failing in its duty to Dún Laoghaire, an area which has its attractions and a thriving business. I understand that years ago there were 16 hotels on the seafront of Dún Laoghaire, a time when the pier area was lit up and people were encouraged to come and spend time there, bands played and there was general entertainment. There are no more than three hotels now but there are a number of excellent hotels in the outlying areas. There are some excellent bed and breakfast facilities but no encouragement is given to those arriving in Dún Laoghaire to stay there.

There is a threat that the Maritime Museum based in Dún Laoghaire is to be moved to the city centre. I see no reason why that museum which has been situated by the sea in Dún Laoghaire for a number of years should be under threat of moving to the city centre. As a tourist attraction and a welcome addition to the area, it should remain there.

There are many other attractions such as the Joyce Tower, but it takes a long time to find the sign indicating how to get there. Gentlemen still manage to find their way to the forty foot which displays a lovely sign "gentlemen's bathing place". I understand it is an attractive place for Japanese tourists to take photographs.

These are the facilities the thriving town of Dún Laoghaire has to offer which are being ignored by Bord Fáilte. I suggest the Minister ask Bord Fáilte to look at the service it is offering all seaside resorts throughout the country, including the Dublin area. We have an ideal opportunity to develop our tourism industry. The peace process will bring benefits to the whole of Ireland. Now is the time to capitalise on that agus chun fíor chaoin fáilte a chur roimh thurasóirí chun na tíre seo.

Mr. G. Reynolds

I welcome the Tourist Traffic Bill. The increased allocation from £22 million to £50 million to support tourism capital development is welcome. It is an indication of the type of development and level of commitment and buoyancy in our tourism industry. Many speakers have said the tourism industry is the second largest sector in our economy and the second largest employer. I have no doubt it will continue to grow, given the developments which have taken place in the past years.

I agree with Deputy Hanafin on the issue of signage but I could give similar details of counties Sligo and Leitrim. Signage is a major aspect of tourism. We are a small country but if we are to attract 5 million visitors per year it would be beneficial if they knew where they were going, at least part of the time. If the Minister and his colleague, the Minister of State, can secure more funding for local authorities for the provision of signage this would be worthwhile.

The decision taken a number of years ago by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Bord Fáilte to market Ireland as one entity was a very courageous and correct one. We are a small island on the periphery of Europe with a unique tourism product to sell. We have all spoken about the peace dividend and those of us from the Border region can see the benefit of the peace process. We hope that process will continue to develop and that the present difficulties will be overcome so that people can be assured peace will come to the entire country over the next few months and years.

A shining example of the co-operation between the tourist operators North and South of the Border was the development of the Shannon-Erne link, or the Ballinamore-Ballyconnell canal, which has been up and running for five or six years. I come from Ballinamore and there is a large amount of tourist traffic in both directions on the canal between the South and Enniskillen and Lough Erne. There was great difficulty at the start in getting tourist operators to trust one another and very few cruise hire craft came across the Border from Northern Ireland in the first year. However, this traffic has increased dramatically over the past couple of years, which shows the good work that can be done by tourist interests on both sides of the Border when trust is established. The Border is only an imaginary line in terms of the Ballinamore-Ballyconnell canal and no one has any great difficulty traversing it, which shows how tourism can develop through the peace process.

My colleague, Deputy Crawford, spoke about Belfast Airport, which can play a very effective role in bringing tourists into Northern Ireland and the Border regions, and also into the Minister's constituency. I assume the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Bord Fáilte will work together on bringing tourists to that airport, in the hope that they will also go as far as the Border counties and the rest of the South.

The tourism industry must examine what is necessary for its further development. Some amazing capital projects have taken place over the past ten years. The people involved in the development of magnificent hotels in every region must be complimented. The Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation must also be congratulated on grant aiding those fine establishments. There are now good four or five star hotels with leisure facilities in every part of Ireland. It was very necessary to develop such hotels but I am not sure we need any more of them.

A number of Deputies have referred to small, family-run establishments. There is a difficulty in that sector. Ireland's unique selling point is that it is green and the people are friendly, which allows us to sell a different tourist product from that on the international market. Family-run hotels can play a major role in that regard. Coarse fishing is a major tourist attraction in my area and proprietors of B&Bs and small family-run hotels there are very dependent on British and continental tourists. Bord Fáilte and the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation ignored family-run hotels in order to create larger hotels, of which we probably now have enough. However, family-run hotels should not be grant aided. Many operators in various industries received grants over the past 50 years to establish businesses but five or six years later the business was gone because they were thinking of how to get a grant rather than how to run a sustaining business.

The Minister should examine the concept of giving low interest loans to family-run hotels. Interest rates are currently low for commercial loans, but the owner of a 20 bedroom family-run hotel who wants to extend it and is really interested in sustaining their business would take the opportunity of a loan which is guaranteed at 2 per cent over ten or 15 years. That would be better than giving them a grant of £50,000 or £60,000 which they would put against their capital outlay for some time and would then find themselves in financial difficulties. I ask the Minister to consider the concept of low interest loans instead of grants.

Members have spoken about infrastructure development. Access to the regions is extremely important. The Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation does not provide funding for infrastructural development, that comes within the remit of the Department of the Environment and Local Government. However, good road and rail links into the regions would greatly improve accessibility. If one takes the example of the Dublin to Sligo rail line, some money will be spent on the section between Dublin and Carrick-on-Shannon but there is a difficulty at present between Carrick-on-Shannon and Sligo. If that infrastructural development does not take place it will be more difficult to attract tourists into the area.

There are regional airports in most large provincial centres. Sligo regional airport at Strandhill, with two flights a day during the summer, has played a great role in bringing both tourists and industry into the area. The Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation can play an important role by stating how important access and regional airports are for the development of tourism.

Coarse fishing in my area provides difficulties for local authorities. There is a large number of lakes with poor accessibility from small county roads, some of which have no one living along them, which means they are not a priority for local authorities. However, it is a major priority for tourism interests. If I, as a member of Leitrim County Council, ask the local engineer to resurface a certain road he will tell me that another road on which ten families are living also needs to be resurfaced. The Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation used to make grant aid available to local authorities for that type of work. Perhaps it is something which should be reconsidered in the context of grant aid given by the Department of the Environment and Local Government for county road developments. Some of this money should be specifically made available for tourism accessibility. These are the types of issues which the tourism industry and the Minister should look at. We have the potential to grow much further. The tourism industry will probably become the most important indigenous industry.

With the advent of the internet and modern forms of communication and technology we must be at the forefront in marketing. Marketing Ireland is not a difficult job but an important one. There is great reluctance to provide much money for marketing because people do not see a structure where £10 million or £20 million is spent on marketing. The world is becoming a smaller place and Ireland is becoming more accessible. More work needs to be done and marketing is extremely important.

The Minister visited Sligo last week to launch the new plan to market County Sligo. The work undertaken by Colette O'Brien, the marketing officer, Sligo Corporation, Sligo County Council and the private tourism industry was very worthwhile. I was very impressed with the progress they made and the idea behind it which was very modern. It is necessary for all counties and regional tourism areas to adopt that marketing ploy in the indigenous and world markets.

Much work remains to be done in the tourism sector. Although we have five million visitors per year, we can increase that number significantly. There are many sustainable jobs in the industry. I wish the Minister well in his portfolio and welcome the increase from £22 million to £50 million.

Mr. O'Kennedy

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I am conscious that it is about 26 years since I, in my first Cabinet responsibility, was appointed Minister for Transport and Power in late 1972. It is significant that the Minister before the House today has responsibility not for transport and power but for tourism, sport and recreation. It has now been recognised as a vital component not only in the national economy, but also in the development and projection of our national image — our culture and attraction to other people — which is essential if we are to explore and realise the full potential here.

The Minister's comprehensive address covers almost all aspects of this very dynamic sector and gives a positive signal of the Government's priorities in not only maintaining the momentum of recent times but in ensuring that we continue to stay ahead of even our keenest competitors in Europe, as we are doing in so many other sectors.

My contribution will be broad, although many colleagues will refer to specifics. Perhaps the best contribution I can make is to highlight broad parameters which will undoubtedly encourage the Minister, his Department and the Government to continue in what they are doing. What attracts people to go to a country? The first thing will be character and culture of the place and the general impression of the people. Is it the type of place in which one could relax and be replenished after a visit? That is a focus we should not forget.

For me, the country other than Ireland, which offers that is Italy. Each time I get the opportunity to go abroad, it will be to Italy because of its history, culture, friendship and the general disposition and excitement of the Italian personality. It is important for us to see ourselves as others see us and it is vitally important that we continue to project a positive imagine. We have a tendency, as Chesterton said, to be very honest people and never speak well of each other. The other way to look at that is to consider what Robbie Burns, the Scottish poet, said, "would that God give the gift to see ourselves as others see us!". When he said that he wanted to bring the Scots down a peg. It is ironic that if we applied it, it would give us a boost because the attitude to Ireland of those outside is very much warmer and more positive than that which we get at home.

The Minister must continue to work effectively on our positive image. In the areas of tourism, sport and recreation, we should continue to project a positive image on all occasions. That will be the real guarantee of the wish and readiness of people to spend a time here and to go back having experienced something which they could not experience in their own environments.

Up to some years ago the significance of tourism, recreation and sport was not recognised and the Minister is playing a dynamic role in that regard. I pay tribute to the unknown supporter. I remember listening to a radio interview when the Irish soccer team, under Jack Charlton, was doing very well and Irish supporters were travelling around the world conveying the impression of happy people who even in defeat could celebrate the fact that they were a sporting, generally generous and happy people.

I recall listening to a Dub on the "Morning Ireland" show. He said in his own inimitable style that football supporters were doing great work for Ireland and that everywhere they went people said they were a very sporting crowd and were doing a lot for Ireland following the team around the world. He said he thought they should be subsidised by the Government. Our immediate reaction was to say that the Dubs would try anything. In a sense, there was something to that comment, although not in terms of giving a subsidy from the Government. We could not overestimate the impact made by these sporting Dubs or those from Cork, Donegal or wherever and I was privileged to see it in Stuttgart and Rome.

I remember in Rome when we were eventually defeated by Italy in the World Cup one could not buy all the talk about Ireland on Italian radio and television. I was watching all the coverage and listening to the radio — I was even interviewed myself — and we could not have bought all the talk on Italian radio and television about the quaesto sportivo Irlandeses, the sporting Irish crowd. If we had beaten Italy they might not have had the same view, but one could not overstate the impact on the Italian people. I appreciate it is only one element of the market but the increase in tourists from Italy to Ireland, which will continue, derives to a large extent from that time. This is why it is important to promote the general image.

The other image which is of considerable importance is one of a people who are deeply rooted in their past, have a great sense of heritage and culture and a great sense of confidence for the future. This applies particularly to our young people. Undoubtedly, the impression abroad, which may cause problems for us in terms of Structural Funds and other areas, is of a dynamic, efficient and exciting country. This is hugely important and is where the collective role of Government comes into play. The Minister's role is to prioritise that aspect and exploit every opportunity with Bord Fáilte to make people conscious that when they come to Ireland they will get only the best. Therefore, it is essential to minimise and eliminate the barriers which are imposed occasionally and which obstruct that positive image.

Ireland has a number of positive dimensions, including our environment, our culture, the fact that it is an island country and part of Europe, our dynamic young people and the sportivo Irlandeses. We also have a different climate from the rest of Europe, but this should never be viewed as a negative aspect. I have friends from the south of France and Italy who come to Ireland every year. If they did not experience the unique climate in the west, which would not necessarily attract me to County Mayo at this time of year, they would feel they has missed a very special feature.

The weather should be considered as an escape for people who are not stimulated by the dreary pattern of the sun coming up in the morning and going down in the evening every day with almost intolerable heat and oppression. What appears to us to be a negative aspect can also be presented as a positive aspect. Walking the by-roads and hills of County Mayo or County Galway in lovely soft rain is celebrated in many of the films made about Ireland. They focus almost exclusively on the variety of shade, culture, mist and rain which may be an unwelcome feature for us of this beautiful land. However, we should build on the good points and present as positive what some of us see as negative aspects.

It is important to avoid man made obstructions. I remember a Dutch colleague of mine on the Council of Ministers saying to me that if the Irish people lived in Holland they would have poisoned themselves out of existence years previously. He loved Ireland and came here regularly, but he said there are only four million people on the island, which is three times the size of Holland, and he could not understand how we allowed such awful pollution in our cities. He wanted to know how we could tolerate the pollution caused by our public transport service.

Dublin is a very attractive destination, but I am tired beyond belief of acting as a one man environmental custodian in respect of Bus Éireann and Bus Átha Cliath. I have telephoned the maintenance department and engineers of Dublin Bus innumerable times to complain about the poison being poured onto our streets from buses which are not properly maintained or which are gone well beyond their active and useful life. Some of these buses are still on our streets. The last time I telephoned I said I was tired of getting the same explanations all the time. I note the time of each bus and its location so there can be no doubt about it, but I receive almost the same response every time, that they will look into the matter and that it should not have happened.

It is time a definite signal was sent to all the transport authorities, particularly those subsidised by the State, that this is unacceptable and penalties will be imposed. People who come to Ireland in the summer get for their pleasure a channel of poison from buses in front of them. I heard this morning on the radio about a conference which is being held at present on the effect of traffic fumes and the point that they contain significant carcinogenic elements. The fumes poison the atmosphere and this cannot be tolerated further.

If we can produce the best standards on many fronts, we should be ruthless in protecting our environmental inheritance. There are guardians of the peace and other areas. Perhaps it is time to have guardians of the air and our environment. It would be a positive step if people who use cars, trucks and buses which are poisonous pollutants were watched regularly and penalised. It is not only a matter of the environment and attracting visitors, it is also an offence to the character of the country and a serious health hazard.

Although it is not the Minister's immediate responsibility, another feature with which we must cope is, I am sure, a matter of constant concern and priority for him and his Department. The congestion on our roads has become a huge problem in addition to the adequacy of our infrastructure for people who come to Ireland. It is a matter of considerable regret and sadness that a high proportion of those killed in the increasing number of fatal road accidents are visitors. This aspect must be a source of concern. The problem is not exclusive to Ireland, but it is essential to take every possible opportunity to open new networks or restore old networks that will remove traffic congestion from the roads, improve driving standards and guarantee safety and stability. This is vitally important.

We have a rail network to the west and north-west. The network to my area of Tipperary is supposed to be priority one, but I have doubts about that in the context of north Tipperary. In common with Deputy Ring, I have an affinity for Mayo and I will not knock the priority given to that area. In my area, there is a direct line to Lough Derg and its surrounding beautiful area which could be developed. The rail service from Dublin to Portlaoise, Roscrea, Nenagh and Limerick belongs not to the last century but to the century before. An improvement in the standard and comfort of the carriages would encourage people to use the service. This would also take traffic off the roads. Instead of driving to Killarney it should be possible to take one's car by train. This is the norm in Europe and the Minister should raise this issue with his colleagues. It is worth looking at the potential for increasing the capacity of our rail network. It is clean and could be very efficient, and would get rid of the negative image created by congestion and pollution.

I have some experience of travelling around Europe by scooter and car. However, the signage is so effective that I never risk losing my way, even given the large amount of traffic. When one enters a large city one sees signs reading "Toutes Directions”. Our signage is totally inadequate by these standards. I wonder how foreign tourists find their way around as I sometimes find it difficult myself. One has to strain one's eyes to see the signage at junctions on the new arterial roads, especially at night. This is the case on the Portlaoise road which I know well and it is difficult to identify which road is the slip road to Dublin. This is not good enough. Directions should be writ large — way ahead and way behind.

The traffic lights on these roads are also inadequate. Everywhere else one travels, there are large traffic lights overhead. I do not know how tourists make their way at night given the small traffic lights at the sides of roads. How are they expected to see these lights? This is an obvious disability which is self-imposed and must be corrected. Let us follow the example of other countries and put clear signs overhead, particularly on motorways, rather than small signposts and traffic lights which one must strain one's eyes to see.

The Minister has stated that the peace process is of vital importance. I acknowledge that English visitors have always formed the basis of our tourism business and that there is a special friendship between our two peoples. I would encourage the Minister in this direction.

A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, you and I are members of the British-Irish Interparliamentary Body and are conscious of the deep font of goodwill which exists among our colleagues. I am sure this is the case at every level at which the Irish and English meet, whether in sport, politics or elsewhere. Hopefully the peace process will continue to succeed. It is important that we generously acknowledge that the British people are especially welcome. They have given a welcome to Irish people over the years when they needed it and they appreciate it when that welcome is returned.

I thank the Minister for his comprehensive statement. I have made some broad comments and will leave it to others to be more precise. The unique projections for Ireland will be realised if we continue on this path.

Mr. Ring

I met Deputy O'Kennedy in Stuttgart when he was a Minister and I was travelling with the Irish supporters. I was not a Member of this House at that time. It was the only time I ever went on holidays outside Ireland. The Deputy is correct that the Irish people are wonderful ambassadors. On that occasion they sold the country well and gave a very positive image.

In a shop in Dublin yesterday the lady behind the counter never said "Thanks" or "Goodbye". She talked to her colleagues and threw out my purchase. When she gave me my change she did not say "Goodbye". That is a bad image. I hope we do not lose our friendly image as a result of the Celtic tiger. Such an incident would not happen in the west. The people there are lovely and I am glad that Deputy O'Kennedy likes visiting the west. We have a marvellous product.

I agree with Deputy O'Kennedy's comments on signage. The largest number of complaints received by Bord Fáilte over the past 20 years have concerned signage, yet no Government has addressed this problem. Deputy O'Kennedy spoke about traffic lights. When one is driving and there is an adjacent road, one cannot distinguish which set of traffic lights refers to which road. One does not know whether to stop or go as the lights are so close together. These signs are clearly marked overhead in Europe.

From experience in my own county, I know that the greatest resistance to tackling this problem comes from county councils. If councils will not do something about this problem, I cannot understand why they will not allow business people or community groups to erect signs. The Minister for the Environment and Local Government and this House should issue a directive on this matter and proper funding should be put in place for signage. The current situation is disgraceful. We encourage people to come here to spend their hard earned money. I have made this point at many county council meetings.

There is a small area in the west where the council will not even cut the hedges. People bring cars from the Continent and visit tourist attractions. Some of them have accidents and have a bad impression of Ireland when they leave. If we bring people to this country we should cut the hedges and erect proper signage. People should be encouraged to come here but they should be helped and not have obstacles put in their way.

I wish to be critical of Bord Fáilte. Successive Ministers for Tourism have stated that Bord Fáilte would be revitalised, yet no one has had the courage or ability to do so. Bord Fáilte must be shaken up from top to bottom. Over the past number of years it has failed to bring tourists into this country. The Minister's report points out the major increase in tourism figures. However, as someone who comes from the west and sees what is happening on the ground, the last three years have been disastrous for tourism.

Bord Fáilte gets its figures from the Central Statistics Office. However, if one travels to England in the morning and returns that night, one is counted as a tourist. This is how Bord Fáilte justifies its figures. I do not care what it says — we have had three disastrous years.

Bord Fáilte insists that we have had marvellous growth in tourism. It also points out that we have a great product and that large amounts of money have been generated for the Exchequer. This is not true. Bord Fáilte has failed over the past three years in my region. I do not care if it tries to justify its figures; it has failed the people in the west and the tourism industry for many years. I hope the Minister takes on Bord Fáilte as it needs to be shaken up.

I recall going into a tourist office in New York in 1984; the small office which was located at the front of a big building was staffed by one person and stocked a few brochures on Killarney. It probably cost a fortune to keep that office open. I hope it has improved since then because I was not at all impressed by the facilities on offer. No brochures at all were available on the west of Ireland.

The Tour de France was the greatest con job ever to come into this country. We derived no benefit from it. The French wanted to move the tour out of France for the weekend in question because the World Cup final was being held in Paris. I suppose somebody had a good time but there was no tangible return from it. In spite of what the experts in Bord Fáilte may say, the event was a waste of Irish taxpayers' money .

One of the greatest disasters in the west of Ireland relates to the Shannon stopover and we, in the west, have paid the penalty for that in recent years. Since the advent of direct flights into Dublin, the number of visitors, particularly Americans, into the west has decreased. It is wrong that everything is oriented towards Dublin. I note that the new national conference centre will be located in Dublin. If one left this House this afternoon, it would take half an hour to reach Heuston station; if one left at six o'clock, it would take an hour and a half. Why could the national conference centre not be located in Knock or somewhere else in Mayo? The county is served by an airport. Such a move would reduce some of the gridlock in Dublin and would benefit tourism in Mayo and the west. The west should be given a chance.

Last week, the Taoiseach spoke about the proposed new national stadium. The stadium will not be located in Westport, Castlebar, Knock or Kiltimagh, but in Dublin. The Leas Cheann Comhairle comes from rural Ireland and is Chairman of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party; he should tell the Taoiseach there are other options aside from Dublin.

I come from the beautiful town of Westport. Thousands of visitors come into the town each year, no thanks to Bord Fáilte. The people of Westport and Westport Tourism Organisation are responsible for that. The organisation collected money locally and marketed Westport with very little assistance from Bord Fáilte. Members of Bord Fáilte might visit the town for an AGM and stay in the best of hotels but the Westport Tourism Organisation is responsible for the promotion of tourism in the area.

Bord Fáilte can no longer be depended on; I, for one, have no confidence in it. I hope the Minister will direct some of the increased funding into the regions. County Mayo and other counties should have their own tourism committees in order that they could sell their regions. Bodies such as Bord Fáilte and Ireland West are mere talking shops. I would love to see regional committees being given the funding to sell their own counties.

Visitors come to Westport on a year-round basis. I compliment the former Minister Deputy Kenny on the seaside resorts scheme which, although it had some faults, also had its good points. Some difficulties were experienced in regard to housing and rented accommodation. There are several top of the range family run hotels in Westport. I compliment all of the families involved, who, with some assistance from the State, put their own money up front. The hotels in Westport are as good as any worldwide. We had to battle with Bord Fáilte for grant aid towards the development of a leisure centre, which would not have been forthcoming but for the efforts of the former Minister, Deputy Kenny. I hope the facility will be opened sometime next year. I would be delighted to welcome the Minister to the opening. The Taoiseach turned the sod although he did not help in the provision of funding.

It is time family run hotels were given greater assistance. Some of these, particularly in rural areas, are only open for 14 or 15 weeks of the year. Yet the county councils and the State expect them to pay rates for the full 12 months of the year. That issue could perhaps be examined with the possible application of a half year rate. Grants should be made available to upgrade these hotels.

Mr. Daly

Provision already exists for that.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Deputy Ring, without interruption, please.

Mr. Ring

Deputy Daly will have an opportunity to contribute to this debate. He spoke a great deal about the Shannon stopover but changed his mind when a decision was made.

I am delighted to see there is a shortage of people to take up jobs in the tourism industry. For many years, people were not fairly paid in the industry and chefs, waiters and barpersons will have to be fairly paid now. The tourism industry got away with murder for too long and people were not getting just reward for their time and effort.

On the issue of the roads infrastructure and train service in the west Deputy O'Kennedy referred to Objective One status and it is important that it is secured. The west must get its fair share of the national cake but that has not been the case to date. Funding is required for the Westport to Athlone road which is one of the worst stretches of road in the country. It is difficult to attract people into the region when there is no proper roads infrastructure. I hope the Minister will use his influence to get action on this matter. The National Roads Authority is responsible for roads infrastructure and development but its members are not publicly elected. I read the NRA report and if we have to wait for it to take action, we will not have many tourists in the west for the next 20 years. The NRA do not have many plans to spend money in the west, it is all for the east coast. We will fight that.

There is a report on the Cabinet table on the Athlone-Dublin railway line. We got away with a warning on this issue a number of months ago. The budget and Estimates are currently being drafted and I hope the Minister for Public Enterprise will receive a major allocation of money for that line. This Government and the next will be held responsible if anything goes wrong. I know what is contained in that report, as do other Members of the House, and I hope funding will be put in place. We have waited long enough for it.

Knock Airport is a wonderful resource in the west. I hope this Government will support and assist its development in regard to water, sewerage and other infrastructural facilities. The airport can become the Shannon of the west. People no longer want to be inconvenienced; they want to be able to reach their destinations without difficulty.

Another issue is bed and breakfasts which are not registered with Bord Fáilte. I hope the Minister, the Government and Bord Fáilte never take the bread out of the mouths of the small people. I know the Government has not been too helpful to the small people in the context of the last budget and I have seen what has happened in relation to social welfare. I am referring to unregistered bed and breakfasts run by those who have one or two extra bedrooms in their house. The money generated by providing B&B accommodation has educated many sons and daughters. Why should they be registered with Bord Fáilte?

I know people who are registered and to whom no tourists have been sent by Bord Fáilte for the past ten years. These people are beginning to realise there is no need to register with Bord Fáilte. I have encouraged many of them not to register but rather to sell their service themselves. Now there is talk about outlawing B&Bs which are not registered with Bord Fáilte. I and many others will oppose any such move and I hope it will never happen. What is wrong with an individual who has a spare bedroom or two keeping a few tourists? Is this not the image of Ireland and are these not the people who will be talking to tourists and encouraging them to visit? These are the real Irish people and I see nothing wrong with them making a few pounds.

Over-pricing has been creeping into the industry in recent years. We must give people value for money. People start overcharging because certain regions and areas are doing well and they know visitors will come. There is plenty of competition in the market and people can fly all over the world at a reasonable price. Those in the tourism industry must realise people will not come to Ireland if they do not get value for money. I hope those in the industry will not clean out people whom they get for five, six, ten or 12 weeks in the summer but that they will give them value for money. Over-charging people will damage the industry.

Deputy O'Kennedy spoke about the English market, which we have ignored in recent years. England is the nearest country to us and the people have much in common with us. We should be marketing Ireland there. It should be easier to get English people to visit here given the Agreement in Northern Ireland. In the past they had visions of trouble and bombs which no longer exist. I hope Bord Fáilte will try to market Ireland in England and encourage people to visit. English tourists spend money and enjoy themselves and it is great to see them coming here. I hope they will be targeted in a special way this year as we are not getting the number of English tourists we should because Ireland is not being sold in the way it should. Please God we will never see another bomb in Northern Ireland and I hope we will have many more English visitors coming to the country.

In relation to grant aid, there are many organisations, including Leader programmes, promoting their own areas. We depend on tourism. The west has not got many jobs from the IDA or the last few Governments, and that is borne out by statistics. The west has the most beautiful product in the world and the most beautiful people. All we are asking of the Government and Bord Fáilte is fair play. We are not out with the begging bowl. We have what it takes and those who come to the west return again. I ask the Minister and Bord Fáilte to give us a fair share of the national cake.

Mr. P. Carey

I wish to share time with Deputy Daly. It was reported in The Irish Times this morning that more than 11 million passengers used Cork, Dublin and Shannon airports during the first nine months of the year, according to figures released by Aer Rianta. The largest increase was in Dublin Airport through which more than nine million passengers passed, an increase of 12 per cent compared with the same period last year. This is phenomenal by any stretch of the imagination. The tourism policy being pursued by the Government is obviously attracting many visitors.

We were and hopefully are still known as Ireland of the welcomes, of the céad míle fáilte. However, the product is so successful and so intensively marketed there is a grave danger of us becoming quite impersonal. Deputy Ring mentioned his experience yesterday of an attendant in a shop who hardly thought it worth her while to pay attention to his needs. This is becoming increasingly prevalent in many aspects of the tourism industry, be it in restaurants, shops, hiring a taxi or travelling on a bus. The training agencies charged with training staff for the tourism industry ought to examine this issue very carefully. I am not suggesting it is necessary to return to the colour postcards of the John Hinde era, but we have a very interesting and warm product and we should ensure it is sold in as open and welcoming a manner as possible.

I mentioned the very high increase in passenger traffic through Dublin Airport and this brings to mind a number of key issues for the city. Outgoing passengers at Dublin Airport find the place is filled with surface carparks. It is necessary to leave home at least an hour earlier than normal in order to find a suitable parking place. The surface carparks on the northside of Dublin look dreadful. Surely Aer Rianta, in conjunction with the planning authorities, can come up with a more suitable form of stacking cars in multi-storey car parks so people can access flights quicker.

The bus link between Dublin Airport and the city is nothing short of disgraceful, as mentioned by Deputy O'Kennedy. It is wholly and totally inadequate. Time after time I have seen backpackers in particular trying to board the bus with rucksacks, having to stand in often damp and hostile conditions. Surely Bus Éireann or Dublin Bus, whichever provides the link to Dublin city, can do better.

Getting a taxi at Dublin Airport is almost like a lottery. I hear constant complaints from tourists who claim it is next to impossible to get a taxi. I have heard complaints from taxi drivers that they are not allowed queue where they used to and that, therefore, people have to wait longer. The taxi driver is often the first contact a tourist has with Ireland and the city. It is critically important that taxi drivers have good quality cars which are well maintained, that they are friendly, conversant with the city, can tell tourists about the good places for eating out and entertainment and do not take tourists all over the city on a tourism trail. We have heard stories of rip-offs by taxi drivers. Such occurrences are isolated, but all that is necessary for the city to get a very poor reputation is one isolated incident.

It has taken a hell of a long time to promote Dublin as a tourism destination. I remember when Dublin celebrated its millennium and when it was European city of culture. Many of us worked very hard with the company established at the time to promote Dublin as a tourism destination. Tourists flew into Dublin or came through Dún Laoghaire or the North Wall and headed straight down to Deputy Ring's part of the country. I find it very hard to be sympathetic with people from the west and south-west. Dublin city has been only recently a beneficiary of the tourism boom.

It is critical that when tourists make their way into the city they can find affordable accommodation. There is a proliferation of hotel accommodation in Dublin city, but I am not sure it is as well regulated as it should be. At the upper end of the market there are high quality service, good standards and well trained staff and one could not ask for more, but at the budget end of the market I am not sure the same effort is put into training staff, monitoring standards and marketing the product. Bord Fáilte, Dublin Tourism and others involved in tourism should examine this area.

Regarding the contentious subject of marketing the tourism product, the City Manager, John Fitzgerald, examined options to raise finance for Dublin city. One proposal is a levy on bedroom occupancy in the city. No one is anxious to introduce another tax, but we need to promote the city's attractions and make it cleaner. The level of litter in the city is appalling. Unlike French cities where the streets are washed every morning, our streets are filthy. Grafton Street and Henry Street are embedded with chewing gum and the cobbledstone paving which were put down ten years ago is coming apart. The city authorities need the freedom to raise additional finance to make the city more attractive, affordable and to develop additional tourism products.

The city ought to be involved as partners in the proposed national conference centre and the national stadium. I welcome the Government's proposal to establish a national stadium. It is an excellent idea and it would be a good idea to locate it along the rim of the M50, adjacent to Dublin Airport. That is an accessible location and would attract many more tourists to the city.

The Acting Chairman through his many involvements will know that the city has been a beneficiary of the Bacon bequest to the Hugh Lane Gallery, a very significant bequest in the artistic world. We are also in the process of developing a municipal theatre for the city. We should not have to go cap in hand to the Minister for Finance to seek £500,000 or £1 million from lottery funds. Much more money is required to provide what is needed in this city and throughout the country and access to resources is required to ensure what is needed is provided.

I am not certain the public have got the message that plastic bags in bushes and hedgerows, overflowing rubbish bins and full ashtrays in hotel foyers are unacceptable. Standards which apply in other countries ought to apply here. Our population is well travelled and there is no reason our people cannot do at home what they do abroad. People know that if they infringe litter laws abroad they will be prosecuted on sight, but litter laws here are not enforced to the same extent.

Linked to the litter problem is the atrocious state of many of our beaches. We have a number of very fine beaches in the Dublin area, but how many of them attract blue flags? I am not sure any do. Many tourists visit beaches in the Dublin area and throughout the country. I visited a beach in my home area in Inch, County Kerry, which was awarded a blue flag, but I was saddened by the amount of flotsam and jetsam on that beach. I am not sure we understand the standards tourists expect us to maintain.

We have come a long way in catering for tourists by extending the season. The Minister referred to the St. Patrick's Day celebrations and he must be commended for the support he has given to the St. Patrick's Day Parade committee. There is also the Cork Jazz Festival and initiatives such as the 1798 celebrations. Those are great initiatives and have attracted many tourists to this country. Heritage tourism has not been sufficiently tapped into. American and Australian tourists are attracted to this country because they enjoy tracing their ancestors through archival material available in churches and schools.

There is a skills shortage in the hotel and tourism sector. It was not today or yesterday that the phenomenon of low wages was raised in the tourism industry. It is long past time the tourism sector faced up to its responsibilities and paid all those employed in the sector a level of wages similar to that which applies elsewhere in industry. It is also long past time that the conditions under which those staff work were similar to those that apply elsewhere. I have no doubt that at the top end of the market satisfactory standards apply, but at the lower end of the market there is proliferation of flexible employment arrangements and a lack of training opportunities for staff. Training opportunities must be provided. The Minister should examine the opportunities available through CERT courses to train young people in areas, such as my constituency, where there is a high level of unemployment and where traditionally they have gravitated towards work in the hotel and catering sector. He should consider providing training opportunities for those people at community level. Community training workshops in some instances are able to link in with CERT level one and level two training and graduates can gain access to jobs in the hotel and catering sector, but we are not doing nearly enough in that regard.

When will we grapple with the signage problem in this city and throughout the country? I do not want to labour that point because it has been well made. Tourists trying to find Glasnevin Cemetery or the Botanic Gardens do not realise where they are until they are on top of them. The issue of signage needs to be reviewed.

We need to develop additional attractions that appeal to the family, particularly children. I compliment the promoters of the Ark and developments in the Dublin Zoo. Outside of the pub atmosphere, there are is not enough for teenagers in the city and that area needs to be examined. I compliment the Minister on the Bill which is a far-sighted initiative. I commend it to the House.

Mr. Daly

The tourism industry has had a dramatic impact on our economy in recent years. Indications of the number of tourists who could be attracted to Ireland in a Government strategy published a few years ago were believed to be pie in the sky, but the 1997 figures reveal more than five million overseas visitors, an increase of 10 per cent on the previous year. The quarterly figures for this year show a continuing increase in that figure. Expenditure figures for 1997 reveal a net inflow of £2,115 million in earnings from tourists. The growth of tourism has provided employment and there is further scope for development. In that regard I pay tribute to the Minister, Deputy McDaid, and the Minister of State. In May this year they published the document, A Statement of Strategy, which is a forward-looking method of identifying weaknesses and areas with potential for further development. We have seen dramatic increases in the number of visitors. In 1997 there was a 12 per cent increase in the number of UK visitors. There is no doubt that with the peace process in Northern Ireland and the new partnership arrangements between the authorities here and in Northern Ireland, we will see significant movement of people between the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the next few years, and this will create further opportunities for employment and development, with a consequent need for further investment, particularly in marketing.

Although we have made dramatic strides in tourism, there are opportunities for increased investment in marketing. At a time when other organisations are investing heavily in marketing it is fundamentally important that Bord Fáilte and, in my region, Shannon Free Airport Development Company, increase their activities and devise new methods and strategies.

I am not certain, for example, that we are utilising the embassies to their full potential in developing tourism and the economy generally. There has been some discussion over the years about involving embassies more. Apart from diplomatic work and making foreign policy, embassies have an opportunity to develop a greater awareness of the attractions of Ireland as a holiday destination. A limited amount of such activity is going on in some embassies. The Minister, in consultation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, might look again at this area to see whether it is possible to revamp the embassies and make them centres for economic and tourism promotion overseas. This would have a positive impact on tourism generally. As a member of the Council of Europe, I have travelled to many foreign destinations and have found there is still a very great love of and awareness of Ireland as a very small island near the United Kingdom. However, there is still a huge amount of work to be done in promoting Ireland's image abroad. To do this it is necessary to devote more money to marketing. It is not wise to cut budgets in mid-term as has been happening in recent times. All Governments have to do this in drawing up Estimates and there are often fairly dramatic reductions in expenditure in such areas as tourism, as a cost-saving measure. This is undesirable, especially at mid-term. Long-term strategies need to be put in place. For that reason it is important that further finances should be devoted to that area.

I pay tribute also to some of the work done by the local authorities in promoting tourism, in particular by Clare County Council in promoting County Clare as a tourism destination. Through the good offices of Councillor Flann Garvey, Clare County Council has organised a tourism forum each year — the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation addressed the forum last year — where they endeavour to link with people in tourism overseas. There have been links with towns in Brittany and in the United Kingdom. In Clare, Councillor Flann Garvey, the Clare Tourist Council and Clare County Council have been very forward-looking in linking with the North of Ireland, and this has fostered keen awareness of the attractions of Northern Ireland for the people of Clare and the attraction of Clare for the people of Northern Ireland, and this is something that must be encouraged.

I would make a final plea in connection with the resort renewal scheme. That scheme has made a dramatic impact in towns like Kilkee where investment of about £16 million is currently under way. I want to see this scheme continued, and I want to see a further range of towns included. There is a strong case for the introduction of the resort renewal scheme in the only spa town in Ireland, Lisdoonvarna, County Clare.

Mr. Browne

(Carlow-Kilkenny): Listening to Deputy Daly traversing the scene in Clare makes me nostalgic. He forgot to mention the tourist attraction of Kilmihil, but it is well known. Cuirim fáilte roimh an mBille seo mar taispeáineann sé go bhfuil fás mór ag teacht ar líon na gcuairteóirí ag teacht chun na tíre seo. Agus má tá airgead ag teastáil ó Bhord Fáilte chun breis cuairteoirí a thabhairt isteach, cuirim fáilte roimh an leasú seo. Tá sé ríachtanach go mbeadh airgead acu chun cabhair a thabhairt do dhaoine atá ag obair go dian, agus is iontach an rud é go bhfuil cúig mhilliún duine ag teacht chun na tíre seo mar chuairteoirí, agus tá súil agam go leanfaidh siad ar aghaidh ag teacht agus go mbeidh fás ar an méid sin agus faoi mar a deirtear as Béarla “you must speculate to accumulate”. It is very important that we do not cut back because of financial difficulties. Now that things are going so well, we must invest money to bring in tourists.

We are very fortunate that Ireland has such appeal for so many people. Many millions of people abroad have Irish ancestry, and we want to welcome them back to their native place. We have a duty to make sure that when they come it is not just a question of getting their money but of having facilities for them and giving them a holiday they can remember.

We are lucky that Ireland has such a high standing in so many different countries. We may regret that the summer was so bad, but many tourists have no interest in sunshine when they come here. They come from warm climates from which they want to get a break. If one mentions that it is unfortunate their holiday is being ruined by the weather, they say it is wonderful to have rain because they do not have it back home. It is a sign of a change in the type of tourist who wants to visit Ireland. I was heartened to hear from Carlow Rural Tourism that Carlow had a big increase in tourist numbers this year. It could be that because the weather was not fine enough for the seaside, tourists were prepared to visit the midlands. We are inclined to think that all tourists come to Ireland to go to the seaside, to Ballybunion, Kilkee, Lahinch, Mayo and Rosslare. Irish people are inclined to go to those places if the weather is fine, but visitors to Ireland are not so centred on them. We have to target this niche market of people who are not interested in the seaside.

The welcome or lack of it in shops was referred to. Receptionists and other people dealing with the public in hotels are extremely courteous. They know that their job is to please people. It is unfortunate if others, who gain from tourism on the periphery, in shops that might appear not to be involved in tourism, do not keep up the high standard. It is very off-putting to be faced with discourtesy when a smile could do much to bring people back to an area.

The bad publicity generated whenever a tourist is mugged does untold damage to our image abroad. Whenever an Irish citizen is attacked while on holiday abroad Irish people are inclined to say that they will not visit the country in question. Tourists are easy targets for thugs. There should be warning signs that they should mind their handbags and belongings. Hotels should also give advice on places to avoid at night.

The availability of brochures is raised regularly at meetings of the regional tourism organisations. There are two aspects to this. One could have a good feeling if there is a plentiful supply of brochures in the local tourist office or hotel, but it may be that no one has bothered to take them. It is a matter on which Bord Fáilte cannot win, if brochures are not available, it will be accused of doing nothing about the matter.

On the change of logo, there is no advantage to be gained in various people putting their stamp on the shamrock. It should not be changed for the sake of it on the say so of a whiz kid. It is recognised as a symbol of Ireland all over the world. What is needed is a strategy to attract visitors.

If peace is achieved in Northern Ireland and there is a return to democracy, the tourism industry can prosper. Even though industry is booming, there is always the danger that the Celtic tiger will flounder but tourism is the one industry on which we should cash in as it is money for jam. It is up to each area to promote its tourist attractions. Tourists cannot be expected to visit every region. It is only the Yanks who believe they can cover the entire country in three days.

Those who dump garbage are doing their best to kill tourism. It is embarrassing to read in the newspapers the occasional letter from visitors on the subject. There is an obligation on corporations and councils to ensure there is an adequate number of rubbish bins and that they are emptied. I fail to understand why school children throw rubbish on the street when they are told off for doing so in the schoolyard. This is inexcusable.

Mr. Davern

It might be a reaction to teachers.

Mr. Browne

(Carlow-Kilkenny): On Sundays one would think that most towns in the country had been hit by an earthquake given the number of chip cartons to be found on the street. Various excuses have been given for not appointing litter wardens. If people were fined £25 for throwing rubbish on the street, the message would eventually get through. We can organise all the trade fairs and publish all the brochures we want but if tourists go away with the wrong image, they will not return. The matter should be examined seriously.

I compliment the tidy towns committees on the work they are doing. It never ceases to amaze me that they can find the strength to pick up the rubbish left behind by their fellow citizens. They have done much to create a good image. I encourage Bord Fáilte to find a way to reward them — perhaps it could offer more prizes — to show that we appreciate their efforts. They should not be taken for granted.

The image the competition creates is vital and it should be encouraged.

It is important that we utilise modern technology, particularly the Internet. Most people are now computer literate and tend to use their computers to check out what is happening in all areas of life. I am sure Bord Fáilte makes great use of the Internet.

I spoke earlier about niche markets. Golfing in Ireland is now a major attraction as there are so many golf clubs in the country. Some of them, such as Portmarnock and Lahinch, are quite famous but there are many equally good clubs in other areas. The leading inland golf course in Ireland is Carlow and it is near a number of outstanding clubs such as Mount Juliet, Mount Wolseley and Kilkea Castle. These outstanding grounds are a major attraction and should be used by Bord Fáilte to target a niche market.

Fishing is another such market. In my constituency the rivers Nore and Barrow are good fishing waterways. There are many such rivers throughout the country. Fishing could be an important tourist attraction. It is certainly not affected by the weather. Anglers will sit on the bank of a river, festooned in waterproof gear, and fish to their hearts' content regardless of the weather. There are plenty of fish in our rivers. English people come here to fish because the rivers in their country have been destroyed. They are amazed at the number of fish in our rivers. The fishing market could be geared towards group sales. However, it is as important to prevent pollution of our rivers as it is to prevent litter, muggings and other crime. If anglers come to fish but catch nothing, they will not return.

Boating could be an important niche market in my constituency. The River Barrow is navigable from Waterford and people can travel from there to Northern Ireland or to Limerick. Boating is the ideal way to spend a week if the weather is fine. It is a pursuit that should be encouraged by the tourism industry.

Selling Ireland as a nation is one matter but it can also be sold into different niche markets. Historical sites are an important attraction. My constituency is the location of Kilkenny Castle and the biggest dolmen in Europe is located in Carlow. It is amazing how many foreigners come to Carlow to see it. I taught in a school only half a mile from the dolmen but some of the locals did not know it was there because it is in an estate. This type of attraction should be used to attract tourists to different areas of the country. Car hire was mentioned earlier. I met an Irish man who had returned to Ireland on a visit from the United States. He was being fleeced by one of the car hire firms and had to switch companies. Practices such as that are wrong because tourists are sitting ducks for abuse.

Another important matter is signposting to warn tourists to drive on the left hand side of the road. There are a number of such signs but many people have been killed on the roads because there are not enough signs to remind them. Hotels and airports should carry more of these notices. The accidents happen when the tourists leave these places.

Mr. Callely

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. The purpose of the Bill is to increase the amount of grant-in-aid to Bord Fáilte from the existing statutory limit of £22 million to £50 million to support tourism capital development works.

The Government is well on its way to achieving the targets in the EU operational programme. Overseas visitor numbers have doubled in the past ten years from 2.4 million to 5.2 million. Foreign revenue earnings have almost trebled over the same period to £21.1 billion. Taking domestic tourism into account, the industry generates about £3 billion annually and employment for more than 120,000 people.

This success story must be acknowledged. Tourism has been transformed as a result of the priority successive Governments have afforded the sector and, especially, by the availability of substantial EU Structural Funds. I welcomed the Government's decision to create a single Department for tourism, sport and recreation. Fianna Fáil gave a commitment in its 1997 election manifesto that it would create such a Department.

I am delighted the House has this opportunity to assess and acknowledge the tourism industry. It should equally acknowledge and give credit to the Minister, Deputy McDaid, and the members of his relatively new Department. The Department is still in its infancy but it is already one of the strongest and most vibrant spokes of the Government wheel.

The tourism industry has enormous potential. We must be vigilant in ensuring that it is built on solid foundations, is visionary about market demands and that investment and development is encouraged in the appropriate sectors. The industry is not just driven by Government and EU incentives. Its future development will be achieved through a partnership approach between the Government of the day and the people who work in the industry.

The EU operational programme envisages a total investment of £650 million. Of that figure £370 million will come from the EU, £75 million will be contributed by the public and £200 million will be contributed by the private sector. That clearly indicates the necessity for a partnership approach. This investment and the upward trend in visitor numbers, domestic and foreign revenue and employment confirms that tourism has been an outstanding success. It is the fastest growing sector of the economy and is now its second biggest industry. I congratulate the Minister, Deputy McDaid, and his staff on their success in making the industry such an important and vibrant part of our economy.

The most important issue for the future is not to become complacent given the success of the industry to date. The challenge is to create further growth in tourism through sustaining and building on what exists and expanding market share across the world. Bord Fáilte has provided details of Ireland's performance in various markets. Britain continues to be the strongest performing market. Growth remains strong in North America and Europe while the market in France is relatively good. The German market remains weak.

I welcome the appointment of Bord Fáilte's chief executive, Mr. John Dully. He has a wealth of experience and made an enormous contribution to the tourism industry as Assistant-Secretary with responsibility for tourism in the Department. I wish Mr. Dully and Bord Fáilte every success in the challenging times ahead. Mr. Dully joins Bord Fáilte on the crest of a wave, though I appreciate he has a very difficult task in sustaining the development of tourism and in encouraging other markets, such as Germany. We should provide the resources to tap into that market successfully. I am pleased that Mr. Dully is already revising senior management structures in Bord Fáilte both here and overseas to ensure that the right structures and people are in place.

The Overseas Tourism Marketing Initiative plays an important role in tourist destinations. Ireland's marketing effort will have to be more focused and we will have to assess our successes and failures in such marketing initiatives. With an extra £25 million being spent by Bord Fáilte, does the Minister agree that a large amount should be set aside for destination advertising? We compete with many destinations that are less expensive and we will have to focus on what we in Ireland are proud of. We should be boasting that Ireland is the place to visit.

We spoke in the past of having approximately 60,000 people employed in tourism, but now in excess of 120,000 people work in this area. Some of those people have been key developers in bringing the industry forward, but these market gurus, who spend so much time marketing their product outside Ireland, should perhaps spend time on the board of Bord Fáilte on a rotating basis. Their experience in marketing abroad is of enormous potential and we should allow them to participate in this fashion.

Some Members have explained why they feel the national conference centre should be located outside Dublin. I represent a Dublin constituency which has Dublin Airport — the premier airport in the country — on one side and two of the premier seaports in the country on the opposite side. These are places where people tend to come into the country; I acknowledge that there are other air and seaports, but there is an attraction to the capital regardless. I pay tribute to Mr. Frank McGee and Dublin Tourism on the degree to which they have changed with the market and enhanced the experience of tourists in Dublin, a beautiful capital city with a lot to offer. It is a place people should visit.

There has been massive investment, but not necessarily by the State. Investment has come from the private sector, and I pay tribute to those who had the vision to invest. They have taken risks and have made Dublin a huge success.

I have asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food questions that reflect my concern at the billions of pounds being given to farmers, as some of that money is for schemes encouraging them not to use their land, such as the set aside schemes. Under that scheme people are receiving thousands of pounds a year not to utilise their land; others are given headage payments because of the number of cattle they have.

Here in Dublin there is a unique ethnic mix that provides a fantastic range of restaurants and food retail outlets which gives the city great character. People can visit top class restaurants and have a choice of foods from across the ethnic divide. Those who invest in these ventures do not get one penny in grants, despite the billions of pounds given out by the Minister for Agriculture and Food to farmers. We should focus on this issue; people are investing individually, but collectively they are making Dublin a finer place to visit.

I welcome the fact that the Spencer Dock International Convention Centre Limited has been given Government support in making a submission to the European Commission for the crucial final approval in the grant process to get the project under way. For some time this project was bounced from one side of the capital to another; now the Spencer Dock group is prepared to go ahead with this massive development, which will be of enormous benefit to the city. It will have an ideal geographical situation between the seaport and the airport in the heart of the International Financial Services Centre.

I pay tribute to the Irish Distillers Group — for which my brother works — which is very active and has invested massively in Dublin and elsewhere. I pay tribute to the vision of Mr. Richard Burrows and others in Irish Distillers for investing heavily in the old Jameson distillery in Smithfield, despite the fact that buildings in the area were falling down around them. Most Members will recall that Irish Distillers started its work approximately ten years ago, long before the authorities focused on that area. It has now one of the finest visitors' centres in Dublin and attracts the largest number of foreign as well as domestic visitors. It is an historic and entertaining place to visit, and I congratulate Irish Distillers on its development, particularly Mr. Burrows. I also congratulate the company on the development of the Midleton and Bushmills distilleries as well as on its business success.

Mr. McGahon

They do not have many friends in Cooley.

Mr. Callely

John Teeling is a personal friend and constituent of mine and I pay tribute to him because he has been successful——

Mr. McGahon

He will congratulate me for referring him to the Competition Authority.

Acting Chairman (Mr. Briscoe)

The Deputy should allow Deputy Callely conclude.

Mr. Callely

I know John and Deirdre very well and they are doing a super job.

Most of the traffic chaos in my constituency is being created by the lack of a direct rail link between the sea port and the airport I mentioned. I ask the Minister to work with his colleagues in Government to ensure that rail link is put in place.

People travelling into the city from the airport pass through the junction in Fairview. Fairview boasts one of the finest parks in Dublin, which many people admire as they travel through the area. I congratulate Gerry Barry and all those involved in Dublin Corporation's parks department for the work they do on the parks. On one side of the Malahide Road, where Dublin Corporation has created chaos, there is a group of shops which used to pay rates but which are now closed. The only business remaining there is Kavanagh's pub, where one of the best pints in Dublin is served. Many of the other shops along that section of the road are closed also because of a measure introduced by Dublin Corporation in relation to the bus lane.

I want to refer to Clontarf Castle in which a private investor, Mr. Gerry Houlihan, a friend and constituent of mine, has invested over £13 million in a private hotel and conference centre which will be of enormous benefit to my constituency. This person made that investment without the support of grants of any kind.

A number of speakers referred to the taxi industry. I want to acknowledge the excellent work done by taxi drivers in this city. They display a high level of professionalism despite the unsocial hours they work. It is easy for us, particularly at this time of the year, to criticise taxi drivers because we may have to wait a little longer, but it should be remembered that many taxi drivers provide a very professional service. I pay tribute to those involved in setting up the taxi forum, particularly the Taoiseach. That forum produced an excellent report. It highlighted many difficulties for the industry including the additional licences it is proposed to issue. Those in the industry recognise that change is inevitable and I acknowledge the courage of those involved in producing the taxi forum report.

I want to acknowledge also the work of Philip Smith of Templeville Developments who entered into negotiations with Dublin Corporation two or three years ago and purchased a site in Fairview for the Westwood Swimming and Leisure Club. Templeville Developments are building what will be the largest club in Dublin, over 13,000 sq. feet, involving massive investment. The club will cater for all age groups, including children.

Acting Chairman (Mr. Browne

, Carlow-Kilkenny): The Deputy's time has concluded.

Mr. Callely

There will be a separate gym, indoor five-a-side football, basketball, tennis and a swimming pool. I argued the case with Philip Smith, and was successful, for a 50 metre swimming pool. He is the only person who currently has planning permission to build such a pool and it is possible that this could be turned into a millennium project.

Acting Chairman

The Deputy is out of his depth and over time. I ask him to conclude.

Mr. Callely

That private investor came up with this project long before the tender process for a 50 metre pool. He is prepared to invest enormous sums of money in the project. This club is ideally situated in the heart of Dublin and a 50 metre pool would be used by many people in the area. I ask the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation to give favourable consideration to the proposal for a 50 metre pool as a millennium project.

Mr. McGinley

I wish to share time with Deputy McGahon, a regular visitor to my own county of Donegal.

Mr. McGahon

One of the nicest places in Ireland.

Mr. McGinley

Ar dtús ba mhaith liom a rá go bhfuil áthas orm deis a bheith agam labhairt ar an mBille tábhachtach seo a bhaineann le turasóireacht, tionscal atá iontach tábhachtach don tír ó thaobh na heacnamaíochta de agus ceann de na tionscail is mó sa tír i láthair na huaire. Taobh amuigh den talmhaíocht sílim gurb é an turasóireacht an tionscal is tábhachtaí sa tír, tionscal a shaothraíonn breis agus £2,000 d'eacnamaíocht na tíre ó dhaoine a thagann isteach agus atá ag éirí níos mó in aghaidh an lae. Cuireann an tionscal fostaíocht ar fáil do idir 120,000 agus 130,000 duine. Tá an tionscal tábhachtach go mór mhór d'iarthar na tíre, áit a bhfuil gá le níos mó forbartha a dhéanamh ar an eacnamaíocht sna blianta amach romhainn ná mar a deineadh le tamall anuas. Is tionscal é a chuireann fostaíocht ar fáil do go leor daoine sa tír.

I welcome the opportunity to speak about the tourism industry which is so important to this country. Other speakers indicated that the industry is second only to agriculture and that the revenue from it is £2 billion per year. I understand over five million people visit the country every year although Deputy Ring, in his contribution, cast some doubt on that figure.

I am delighted the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation comes from Donegal. He is a good friend who recognises the potential in the county and also what needs to be done to attract more tourists to the county. Despite the fact that five million tourists visit the country it is generally recognised that the north, the north-west and the Border counties are not getting their fair share of the revenue generated by these tourists. The Minister recognised that fact when he took up office over a year ago and I hope he avails of every opportunity to ensure more tourists are attracted to these areas.

I am expressing the views of many people employed in the tourism industry in Donegal when I say that 1998 was not a good year for the industry. There was no significant increase in the numbers on last year. That can be put down to a number of factors, including the weather, the World Cup and so on. We did not have a good season. One of the difficulties is access to the county. Foreign visitors did not have the courage to make their way to Donegal through Northern Ireland. Given the prospect for permanent peace, I hope there will be a dividend for us in Donegal so far as tourism is concerned.

Access is important. We do not have rail links with other parts of the country but we have an excellent regional airport, Donegal International Airport, at Carrickfinn, which should be promoted. It should be developed and more use made of it to bring visitors to Donegal. There is a regular scheduled daily flight between Donegal and Dublin seven days per week. It should be developed further to cater for visitors from Britain and other parts of Europe. We should also consider package tours. The hotels with the assistance of Bord Fáilte should be able to arrange flights into Donegal on a regular basis.

Donegal has been dependent to a great extent on the Northern Ireland and UK market. For obvious reasons there was no significant growth in that market during the past 20 or 30 years. Americans and others coming to Ireland usually draw a line from Dublin to Galway and concentrate south of that line. I hope the Minister, Bord Fáilte and those responsible will address that problem to ensure a more equitable distribution of the 5 million tourists coming to our country.

My colleague, Deputy McGahon, who is a regular visitor to the county will have something to say, along with my colleague, Deputy Barnes, who has visited many parts of Donegal in recent years. She recognised what we had to offer when she honeymooned in my area of Gweedore, Bunbeg.

Donegal has much to offer. Credit must go to the Office of Public Works and various Governments for investments in projects, such as Glenveagh National Park, which usually attracts about 100,000 visitors per annum. The investment in that project is paying off. There are a number of other places such as Newmills, outside Letterkenny, and Fort Dunree, in Inishowen. One of the first centres which attracted visitors was the folk village in Glencolmcille, the brainchild of the late Fr. McDyer. It is an attractive place to spend a few pleasant hours. There are also a number of castles such as Doe Castle, which is being renovated, and Donegal Castle, both of which are magnets to attract tourists. Visitors to Ireland are not willing to walk around aimlessly, some activity must be organised for them. In my parish there is an excellent centre which started out as an interpretative centre, a small farmhouse at the foot of Mount Errigal in Dunlewy, Ionad Cois Locha, which attracts 40,000 to 60,000 people per year. The idea started in a local community and it is doing excellent work in attracting tourists to Donegal. People on holidays want something to do. There are excellent facilities for hill-walking. Most people do not mind the weather. If people want a sun holiday they go to southern Europe or elsewhere but not to Ireland. If one happens to get good weather in Ireland, it is regarded as a bonus.

Last August I took a few days off and went to northern Scotland and visited the islands. The weather was no better there than at home but it was most enjoyable. We could learn a few things about how Scottish people operate and organise their tourism industry. They have interpretative centres in the Highlands and on the islands, located at battle sites such as Glencoe, Bannockburn and so on. We are fortunate here to have many bed and breakfast establishments. The same applies in Scotland. It is made convenient for the prospective customer driving around in Scotland, when it comes to booking into a bed and breakfast house. Outside every such house is a bed and breakfast sign. If places are available, vacancy signs are displayed. If there are no vacancies, they hang a notice to that effect on the B&B sign. When I returned home I suggested that practice should be adopted here. If one has visited a half dozen houses which are full it can be very frustrating, a "no vacancies" sign on the B&B sign would be of tremendous help.

Activity related holidays, such as fishing, has already been mentioned. The Gaeltacht in my constituency should not be overlooked. When people on holidays hear the Irish language spoken they know they are away from their own area. Some of the ambassadors from Donegal who have worked hard in attracting visitors, are singers such as Clannad, Enya, Altan and Daniel O'Donnell. A festival in Kincasslagh, a fortnight ago, attracted visitors from all over the country and from the UK. Every hotel room from Donegal town to Dunfanaghy was full. Daniel O'Donnell was the main attraction. I could continue to sing the praises of our county and emphasise the importance of the industry but, as agreed, I will allow the remainder of my time to Deputy McGahon.

Mr. McGahon

As the Deputy has said Deputy Barnes and I are regular visitors to the loveliest county in Ireland. It is not just Deputies who go there. I understand one of the ushers, Mr. Pat Neary, is a frequent visitor and is a standing dish on Saturday nights in Glencolmcille.

The difficulty with Donegal, as referred to by other Deputies, is the lack of signage. County Donegal, the second largest county, 100 miles long, is sadly in need of adequate signage. I have no intention of seeking election in that lovely county.

It is not to Donegal I want to direct my comments today. For almost 17 years I have criticised all Governments because of the lack of recognition of the difficulties confronting the smallest county in Ireland, Louth. It has been nothing short of scandalous. The lack of recognition for this war-damaged county, is one of the reasons I want to get out of politics. I cannot accept that that fact is not recognised in this Assembly. That is the reason I ask for a share of the national cake for my constituents — the people of County Louth who vote for me and those who do not vote for me. We have borne the brunt of the Ulster troubles for all those years. We have gone from the pinnacle of employment to the unacceptable figures of double the national average of unemployment without any help or recognition being given. Now that the prospect of peace is upon us, I ask for specific help for County Louth.

I congratulate the Minister on doing a good job but I look askance at the money spent by Bord Fáilte. It might be doing a good job nationally and globally but it has not made its presence felt in my county over the years. We have been consigned to hell or to Connacht in regard to tourism. I look askance at the money spent in prime tourism areas such as Kerry, Cork, Clare, Wexford, Mayo and Galway, which are synonymous with Ireland all over the world and do not need any more promotion. However, tourism backwaters, such as County Louth, also need help.

As a result of our proximity to the Border, even people from Dublin were afraid to come to County Louth. There is scenery in Louth on a par with that of anywhere else in the country. We have the delightful Cooley peninsula and the wonderful, old world town of Carlingford, the Kinsale of the east coast. However, we do not have enough punters.

It is a great source of disappointment to me that the Government did not include Carlingford in the very laudable seaside resorts scheme. Carlingford has a very nice little family run hotel, but it needs a five star hotel with leisure facilities to give that lovely town the impetus it warrants. That town is crying out for help but when my party was in Government it designated Clogher Head instead, which does not have the attractions of Carlingford. While that designation was welcome at the time, I hope the Government will restart that scheme in the future with a view to creating the right conditions in Carlingford for an entrepreneur to build a five star hotel there which would allow us to compete with other lovely areas.

Tourism is extinct in Louth, despite the efforts of some business people to breathe some life into it. We need help from Bord Fáilte and I hope the Minister will take my words on board. We have been forgotten. The Minister is a very photogenic man and his picture is in the newspapers most days, but he is never photographed in my county. I know from personal contacts that he has many admirers there and I look forward to him visiting County Louth with a meaningful mission because, as I said earlier, we have been consigned to hell or to Connacht. That is true not only of tourism but of all other aspects of Government help.

Almost every speaker, regardless of political affiliation, has lamented the lack of road signage. The elementary problem must be overcome. I do not know whether it is a function of the county council, the Office of Public Works or Bord Fáilte. While I know that county councils will not flush a toilet unless they are provided with money to do so, they do not get enough money from central Government. That problem has been ignored over the years.

Other problems are the amount of vandalism around the country and the failure of county councils to cut hedges. I do not know whether it is the responsibility of county councils or landowners, but there should be increased concentration on cutting hedges in scenic areas.

I appeal to the Minister for a slice of the national cake. No Deputy could dispute my claim that County Louth has suffered greatly from the Troubles in Ulster and has not got its fair share from Bord Fáilte.

I will conclude by telling a true story. Some years ago a Canadian booked a holiday in Carlingford, which, as I told the Minister, is a delightful spot. He came via London and stopped off at a tourism exhibition. He went to the Bord Fáilte stand and asked how he would get to Carlingford. He was told by the young lady in charge that Carlingford was in Northern Ireland and that he should go to the Northern Ireland tourist board stand. We must wonder how anyone working for the Irish tourist board could be so unaware of her own country.

I welcome the co-operation between the Northern Ireland tourist board and Bord Fáilte in selling Ireland as a 32 county nation, which is a practical and commonsense step. It is a hands across the Border venture which can succeed. I congratulate the Minister on his success in the past 18 months and hope he will find his way to County Louth — the Minister, Deputy Dermot Ahern, can show him the way.

I wish to gently criticise my friend and constituency colleague, the Minister, Deputy Dermot Ahern, for donating a political bribe of £780,000 to the aged of Cork as a ploy to win the by-election. There are also aged people in Louth and charity should begin at home. However, my main reason for raising this is that political inducements or bribes by any party are wrong and are a serious contributor to the cynicism which people feel about political parties.

Mr. E. Ryan

I wish to share my time with Deputy Killeen.

Acting Chairman

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Mr. E. Ryan

I welcome the Bill and congratulate the Minister on the work he has undertaken since he took office. He has brought a great deal of vitality to the job, as did his predecessor. Tourism has been a huge success in this economy. When Fianna Fáil went into Government in 1987 tourism was one of the areas it targeted. Many people, mainly outside Leinster House, asked how we could develop the tourism industry. People should be congratulated for responding to the challenge. They have developed an industry which is an enormous success and is of huge benefit to the country. We should recognise those people in the tourism industry, in hotels, bed and breakfasts, pubs and restaurants around the country.

A previous speaker on the opposite side of the House mentioned the role of our embassies in promoting Ireland, an issue which is very important and which I would like the Minister to take on board. As far as I know, our embassies do not promote Ireland. They may have a do the odd time, perhaps on Paddy's Day, and invite people to attend. We are very good entertainers and people like going to St. Patrick's Day events at an Irish Embassy because they are always good but the embassies are not being used for tourism and trade purposes.

My colleague, Deputy Callely, said something very interesting about Jameson whiskey. I would like the Minister to ask one of his colleagues in Government about a promotion for Jameson whiskey held in a certain European capital in recent days and about the attitude of the Irish Embassy to it. I will give him the details later. I did not know Deputy Callely would mention Jameson whiskey but it is a very good example of what we are not doing through our embassies. I am not criticising the embassies which generally do a good job in the diplomatic area. We could, however, use them more to promote Ireland in terms of tourism and trade.

I will focus on Dublin which is a great success tourism-wise. Urban tourism has become popular and Dublin has done well out of it. There is a huge market for weekends in Dublin and it has had a beneficial effect on the city. The Minister has finally got agreement for a convention centre which I welcome and which will add to the city and will benefit the economy.

People visit Dublin for many different reasons, including the people, pubs, restaurants, theatres, music gigs and the normal tourist attractions such as art galleries and so on. They also come here because they get a package. They go out at night to pubs or restaurants and many eventually end up in night clubs. There are many night clubs in my constituency for which we do not have proper legislation. Night clubs in this city have won awards in Europe and America on the standards they have set, but for some reason, we seem to think there is something wrong with night clubs.

If we are out on the town at night in Dublin or in another urban centre, we often end up in a night club. The majority of people have a good time and go home or to a wine bar. There is total confusion as to when a night club can or cannot open and whether it is legal or illegal. If we want to press home our advantage as a modern city, we must sort out the problem. A night club owner came to me about it as recently as this week. They are sick and tired of being told they must close at a certain time and of having to throw their customers out. That is not an attraction for tourists. When promoting Dublin, will the Minister along with his colleagues in Cabinet try to sort out this problem?

The committee I chair, the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality and Women's Rights, sent a report to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform on licensing laws and pubs. There must be a two hour differential between when pubs and night clubs close otherwise night clubs will go out of business. If we want to provide a package to young tourists coming here, we must do so. We must be enlightened in the way we approach this matter.

I was in Prague earlier this year where pubs may stay open for 24 hours per day. I was very interested in this because our committee was dealing with licensing laws at the time and I asked a few people about it. The majority of pubs close between 2 a.m. and 2.30 a.m. because they want to do so. There are three pubs in Prague which do not close at all. I am not saying we should do the same but the pubs, night clubs and licensing issue must be sorted out if we are to press home our advantage in terms of young weekend visitors and others. There are queues outside many of these clubs at night so nobody can say they are not wanted. They are wanted not only by tourists but also by young Irish people. Will the Minister look at this issue?

Another issue mentioned was litter, which is an endless problem and one we do not seem to be able to sort out. I do not know how we will solve it but we cannot give up and must press ahead. Blackspots around the country and in cities were also mentioned. I cannot remember if a list of blackspots was compiled — a competition for the 50 worst blackspots which we would tackle. We could have a wonderful competition in drawing up the worst blackspots and in providing money to clean them up. When considering the demand for weekend and urban tourism in Dublin and Cork, will the Minister look at the licensing laws and the situation which wine bars, night-clubs and pubs face, and try to sort it out?

Mr. Killeen

The Tourist Traffic Bill was introduced to increase the statutory limit on aggregate Exchequer grant aid to Bord Fáilte and gives us an opportunity to air our views on tourism. I remember when the previous Minister, Deputy Kenny, introduced a similar Bill seeking an extension of the limit to £22 million. There was a great debate on that occasion and there is a huge demand for speaking slots today. Tourism is an area of interest and benefit to all. At that time none of us would have considered it likely that a Minister would have to return after three years to seek to more than double the limit to which Deputy Kenny had raised it.

A factor must be the peace dividend and it would be remiss of us not to mention it and express our appreciation to all those involved in its success to date. It also offers potential for the future and everyone who listened to Deputy McGahon or the Border Deputies would have had that brought to mind. The Minister would also be acutely aware of the benefit which could flow in that area.

We also need to acknowledge the work of CERT, the training agency, the various Institutes of Education, which used to be Regional Technical Colleges, many of which have catering and hotel related functions, and the Shannon hotel college. They have played a tremendous role in providing the tourism industry with competent, well trained and professional staff. Those who have travelled throughout the country would be acutely aware that over a short period a hugely improved level of service is available to the casual traveller and to ourselves if we are visiting Dublin, Cork, Donegal or wherever. It has been a tremendous success story.

The steady growth from the 1970s to 1985 seemed to be the optimum which could be achieved but the growth since 1986 to 1996 and since then has been tremendous. There has been a 370 per cent increase in total foreign earnings. If one had come into the House and made such a prediction at that stage, one would have been considered to be off the wall. It is particularly good in the context of European growth where there is a variation of about 100 per cent to 200 per cent — a little less than that across European countries. We have massively outperformed our European neighbours in terms of attracting tourists. It has become the second biggest industry in the State and an excellent regional spread is possible. We have not yet achieved that, but we have made some progress.

We have also made substantial progress in extending the season. It is interesting to note that the major failure in that regard has not been in the foreign market, but the domestic market. This is related to employees having traditional holiday times and being effectively forced to be in the marketplace for a holiday during the limited period from the end of July and the month of August. This was adverted to in a report in 1971 and various suggestions were made. None of these would be impossible to implement, but they were never taken seriously. It is one area of tourism which could be addressed because it is within our control. I would like the Minister to pursue it and to examine what progress, if any, has been made or is possible.

The impact of tourism spend in rural areas is dramatic. In spite of its success story, it is a little less dramatic in Dublin because of the huge population background and the size of the economy in the capital city. A relatively small spend in a rural village or town has a huge impact on the local community and economy. A difficulty in some circumstances is that they must depend on part-time staff or are in the position were they can only afford to employ staff part-time. There are also areas where it is an advantage to employees to have part-time work available. The real scandal is the rates of pay available to part-time and full-time workers in the tourism industry. This will be addressed to some extent by the introduction of a minimum wage, but I have great reservations about the current position because it undermines the integrity of the tourism product in a way that is ultimately damaging to the country and the individual hotel or guesthouse.

In relation to hotels and guesthouses, there is a danger of providing excellent products at the higher and budget ends of the market but allowing the middle, which traditionally includes small family-run hotels or guesthouses, to fend for itself with little success. A scheme of grants or tax incentives needs to be introduced because there is poor infrastructure and super-infrastructure, particularly in the west. This may also be the case throughout the country. We tend to assume that a problem only applies to the west, but closer scrutiny may reveal that the same problem exists in Dublin and the east. There has been a huge increase in the number of hotel beds in the Dublin area. One hopes that the boom continues because if there is a downturn, there will be a glut of bed spaces on the Dublin market. This will be difficult for hoteliers and whoever is charged with responsibility for the industry at the time to address.

We could at little cost revitalise the small family hotel which tends to be run by two or three family members and four or five local staff. It offers something of the Irish experience which is difficult to deliver in the bigger hotel environment. It enables tourists to meet local people in their community. Irish people are very giving of their time and experience and they enjoy talking to foreign visitors and visitors from other parts of the country.

There is an expectation that every contributor to the debate will give a tour of their constituency because Deputies are best informed about their own areas. The experience in smaller areas is frequently reflected elsewhere. In County Clare a natural resource which is well known internationally is the Cliffs of Moher. This continues to attract a huge number of visitors. However, anybody who has visited there in the last four or five years will agree that the capacity of the infrastructure for visitors, while improved a little, is still truly appalling. It is embarrassing. While that continues to be the case, inevitably the experience of visitors from abroad is diminished.

There have been improvement plans for many years. I blame Shannon Development for the fact that the plans have not been progressed, but it would probably blame the county council. It is one of the areas where there is a product which is very well known and attracts a huge number of visitors, but many people go away dissatisfied because of the lack of provision for them in the immediate Cliffs of Moher area. The visitors centre is too small, there is a lack of toilet facilities and parking is badly organised. All these matters could be addressed at low cost.

The artificially created Bunratty Folk Park also continues to attract a huge number of visitors. Much money has been spent on upgrading it and it continues to be an exciting experience. It is professionally presented and continues to be a good attraction. Lahinch and Kilkee benefited from the tourism resort scheme. In both areas there was a good deal of adverse comment about various structures and buildings. Approximately 5 per cent of that was merited, but the impact in general was positive. It is a pity that this is so undermined by little quibbles and a number of items which do not fit in exactly.

The simultaneous development in both resorts of water world type projects has gone unnoticed because of the controversy about the buildings. In the summer of 1998 in the west, the investment in both projects was more than saved in entertainment value for parents who at least had somewhere to bring children. Otherwise, they would have had to entertain and tame them in mobile and holiday homes. It was brought home most dramatically this year that the facilities in family resorts must cater for rainy days. Unfortunately, there are rainy days in Ireland and in traditional resorts, such as Lahinch and Kilkee, a high percentage of the visitors are domestic holidaymakers who realistically would have the option of spending approximately the same amount of money and enjoying a holiday in a sunny clime where children would be much less trouble to them.

There has been an absolute failure to develop the Burren in a way which protects it and simultaneously makes it reasonably accessible to visitors and allows them to feel that they are not imposing. My view is that the national park route is the best way forward. There must be a public access point. There are arguments about where it should be, but there would have been the same hullabaloo no matter what place had been chosen. There was much uninformed comment from people who had never visited the Burren.

It is one of the resources in environmental and tourism terms that we have been most remiss in not addressing more actively. Most of the blame for that undoubtedly lies with the ongoing conflict and the failure to resolve it. The losers are on all sides in that area and I earnestly wish that it was resolved. Any resolution must involve a public access point of some meaning. This would have been provided under the proposal and will be provided by the current proposal on a different scale. I am aware of the negative impact of the entire controversy because it is taking place in my parish and on my doorstep. I am in the middle of it and nobody could know more about it. Even if I have a strongly stated position on one side, I understand all the other considerations involved. The same difficulties would have arisen wherever the attempt had been made to provide access.

The same type of problem exists in relation to a proposal for a golf club in Dunbeg. It is ironic in the context of the debates about Structural Funds and the ongoing battle for them that the two projects in Dunbeg and the Burren which probably would have attracted the most funding in the county have been undermined by bickering from outside to a lesser or greater degree.

County Clare has some of the difficulties in relation to signage. Fortunately a signage project in the north Burren area went ahead in 1990. It has been a huge help, although it requires some supplementary work now. It has had a positive impact without being expensive, and could be built on elsewhere.

The results of consumer research frequently tell us that what we think about ourselves is not what others think of us. Anyone who is studying Irish tourism seriously must look at the findings of the behaviour and attitudes study undertaken in 1995. I would like to see that study updated. It would not have to be as extensive as the initial survey. That study indicated how others perceive us and may come as more than a surprise to those who thought they knew better.

The biggest negative aspect about Ireland which emerged from the study was that many people outside the country see Ireland as a destination for male visitors, and as being fairly unfriendly towards women and children. This means that we are losing out in the context of where money is being spent on holidays. We have resources for family holidays which could be better presented and developed and which could improve the impact of Irish tourism.

Mrs. Barnes

I am delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to this debate which concerns every Member of this House. The Minister may think he is on overload when the debate is over. The Department and the Minister can achieve a certain amount, but progress requires the co-ordination and co-operation of other Departments. Has such a co-ordinating committee been set up or are there plans to do so?

Many speakers have referred to signage. It is bewildering for Irish people trying to find a location with which they are unfamiliar. What must it be like for a foreign tourist, driving on the opposite side of the road and trying to interpret a foreign language while attempting to drive carefully? Sometimes it must be almost impossible. The Minister must have seen how this problem is handled in other countries, particularly those with large numbers of tourists.

I travelled in Italy and was impressed by the use of advance signage. One was warned kilometres in advance of where lay-bys, service stations and turn-offs were located. This latter point is very important now that we have motorways. This advance signage ensured that one did not make a mistake and have to pull over onto a hard shoulder which is dangerous.

This signage was achieved in the main by painting signs on roads. This does not involve much cost, it is easy to do and we should take it on board in Ireland. Dublin and other locations in Ireland now use computerised, electronic signage which indicates the number of parking spaces available and so on. People find these signs very helpful. Similar signs were used in Italy on bridges and over roads to signal directions and other traffic information. Thankfully we now have a good technological base in this country and we should introduce a technologically advanced way of using existing structures to locate such electronic signs which are so necessary.

There is nothing worse than to come across a signpost which is hidden by the branch of a tree. There has never been a better time to address this problem as we are completing work on many by-passes and motorways. We have the technological know-how to set up computerised signage and paint signs on roads, making life easier for ourselves and tourists. This is one of the most frequent criticisms tourists make of otherwise pleasurable visits.

There have been many horrific accidents on our roads. This makes it essential that we erect signs for quite a distance from airports and ferry ports reminding tourists to drive on the left hand side. People lose concentration and forget, and this has been the cause of accidents.

It is wonderful to read in today's newspapers that nine million people travelled through Dublin airport. Millions of people travelled through our other airports and I applaud that also. However, we now face a problem moving people from airports and ferry ports to their accommodation. We need a high speed rail link to Dublin airport. We also need feeder bus services from the airport to some of the DART stations on the northside. This would avoid the problem of trying to transport everyone to Busaras. We must give greater thought to the use of feeder systems until we have a direct rail link to the airport.

Matters may be different on the northside of Dublin than on the southide. However, I cannot accept Deputy Callely's praise for the taxi service and his claims that it is adequate. It is outrageous that taxi drivers can choose which passengers to transport from airports and ferry ports. This is not just the Minister's problem, it is an issue which must be addressed by way of a co-ordinated approach by Departments and local authorities. This would ensure that our tourism industry is given every support to allow it to move forward at every level.

The Department of the Environment and Local Government issued a very helpful policy statement called Waste Management — Changing Our Ways. We have all talked about the problems of rubbish. However, the difficulty is not caused by a lack of will or awareness on the part of local authorities and community groups, but by a lack of resources to address this issue. This policy statement has been very helpful. It highlights that local authorities have traditionally managed the functions in isolation from each other and from other service providers. This meant that the few resources available were overstretched. Part of this policy is that there would be far better co-ordination and co-operation between the various local authorities under the auspices of the Department of the Environment and Local Government, community groups and private companies and services. That is the macro way in which this issue should be processed.

Debate adjourned.