National Tourism Development Authority (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2022-12-06
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Emer Currie (FG), Nominated by the Taoiseach

I thank the Minister. I very much welcome this Bill and the increased availability of capital. I worked for Fáilte Ireland. It was my client when I worked in advertising and marketing. I was part of the team that started the process of marketing home holidays with the Right Here, Right Now and The Fun Starts Here campaigns, so I recognise the multiplier effect and how much our tourism proposition has changed over the years. It is not just about attractions but also about experiences and packaging them in light of the unique selling points that Ireland has to offer. The domestic market is important. After Covid, the local market has been also.
Over the past couple of years, there has been capital expenditure on larger projects such as Westport House. I wish to signpost places such as Dunsink Observatory, Dublin 15. The Liffey valley is another potential tourism project in Dublin 15 that should be considered. Fingal has its own marketing proposition but the whole area of Dublin 15, stretching from the starting point of the Phoenix Park, has much potential. As the Minister says, one could have strategic partnerships and collaborations involving the likes of cycling and the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. We had our own time zone in Ireland at one stage and Dunsink Observatory was at the meridian line. There is much potential in Dublin 15 that I would urge the Minister's team to look in that direction.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2022-12-06/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:51:22+00:00
Sitting date: 2022-12-06