Tourism: Statements
Dail Éireann — 2026-06-10
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George Lawlor (LAB), Wexford

I welcome the opportunity to speak in the Chamber on this hugely important yet too often underestimated pillar of our national economy. Tourism is not and should not be a luxury add-on to our economic strategy, nor a seasonal afterthought. It is an extremely important component of our national economy, one that sustains many of our rural communities. It supports small businesses, preserves our cultural heritage and, in many respects, keeps rural Ireland alive. If we are serious about balanced regional development, we must be serious about tourism. It contributes billions annually to the Irish economy and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, many of them in rural counties where alternative industries are often limited. It drives demand for hospitality, transport, food production, crafts, festivals and cultural experiences. It is one of the few sectors that reach into every town, parish and county. Where tourism thrives, the entire nation thrives.
When tourism is neglected, rural Ireland feels it first and hardest. Nowhere is this more evident than in my own county of Wexford. Wexford is a county whose identity, economy and social fabric are massively intertwined with tourism. We are blessed with natural beauty, cultural richness and a heritage that stretches from the Norman invasion via Baginbun to the 1798 Rebellion to the modern arts festivals which draw visitors from across the world. However, blessings alone do not sustain an economy; investment, vision and leadership do.
Next year, 2027, is the year of the Norman. A few years back, I had the pleasure of hosting a delegation from Normandy, including the president of the Regional Council of Normandy, Hervé Morin. Normandy has a population of 3.3 million. Incredibly, the delegation had very little knowledge of Ireland's or Wexford's connection to Normandy. It is with areas like Normandy that we should be looking to connect via much bigger national investment. There is huge potential in that connection, particularly since Brexit. The people of Normandy used to send their children to England to learn English. Ireland now has a terrific opportunity because of the constraints after Brexit.
If we look at a sister city of Wexford, Savannah in Georgia, it has huge historical connections with Ireland and Wexford. Some 57% of the population there trace their heritage to County Wexford. The city itself has a population of 170,000 people, yet last year it had 13 million visitors. If we compare that to Ireland, we had 6.4 million visitors. There is no direct flight to Savannah despite the huge connections. As an example, a 16,000 sq. ft Wexford bar has just opened in the heart of Savannah. I do not know if the Minister of State has been there-----

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-06-10/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:47+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-10