I welcome the opportunity to speak on the importance of tourism to our economy, our communities and our national identity. Tourism remains one of the most important and significant industries, supporting employment, enterprise and regional development in every county. Hundreds of thousands of people depend directly or indirectly on tourism activities, from accommodation to visitor attractions, transport, festivals, heritage sites and other recreation. Despite recent challenges, Ireland continues to attract millions of visitors each year. As a TD for County Laois, I want to highlight the enormous tourism potential that exists in the midlands and in my own county and the need to match that potential with real investment on the ground. For far too long, Laois has been overlooked as a tourism destination but the reality is that the county has outstanding heritage, outdoor recreation and cultural experiences. We have the Rock of Dunamase, one of the most iconic medieval sites in the country, and Emo Court, one of the finest neoclassical estates in Ireland. Emo Court had 305,000 visitors last year and the Rock of Dunamase had 44,000. These figures show what is possible when the product is supported. Beyond that, the Slieve Bloom Mountains offer some of the best walking and cycling in the country. Our towns and villages, including Abbeyleix, Durrow, Portarlington, Timahoe and many others, have strong cultural and heritage experiences, supported by festivals and sporting events - real economic benefit into rural, local communities. Laois is located within easy reach of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford. However, tourism does not happen by accident. It needs investment in infrastructure, walking and cycling routes, public area improvements, heritage conservation and destination development. If we want counties like Laois to reach their potential, we must be fair in how national tourism funding is delivered. One of the biggest tourism and recreational gaps in County Laois is that we do not have a greenway. Ours is one of the few counties in this State without one. At a time outdoor recreation tourism is growing, that is a serious disadvantage. However, I have good news as a Laois TD. Laois has real potential in this space, especially with the old Bord na Móna rail corridor from Cashel bog through Togher Woods and over to Ross bog. This is a continuation of an existing route, with strong potential conversion into a greenway, that exists and that was used to take the peat off the bogs, which is no longer allowed. That is why I am really passionate about what I say. I have called this proposal the O'More way. It reflects local identity and ambition. The corridor exists in its entirely, including under railway lines and national roads and routes. It is all there, ready to go up and ready to run if we get the funding. I raised this recently at a joint committee meeting on rural development policy where I highlighted the need to prioritise viable greenway projects that are not yet funded. This is the frustration on the ground. Ready-made projects are waiting while others progress. I have also raised this directly with the Minister, Deputy Calleary. Too often, counties like Laois end up at the back of the queue when funding decisions are made. I want to acknowledge the work of Laois County Council and the local groups that are pushing this forward. The support is there, the demand is there; what is missing is delivery. We need better joined-up thinking involving agencies like Bord na Móna. We cannot afford to lose projects that already have roots and strong backing.

Sentiment score: 0.30