Tuesday, 21st May—Dinny McGinley T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, will deliver a keynote address to the European Maritime Day Conference in Valletta, Malta, this morning (9.30am).
The conference, which runs today and tomorrow, is organised by the European Commission (DG for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries) in partnership with the Maltese Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Business, and the Maltese Ministry for Tourism. Discussions will focus on the seas and oceans and the economic opportunities they offer.
Today’s programme will include high-level political debates, with more practical exchanges between maritime stakeholders being held tomorrow.
The Minister’s address this morning is one of the keynote addresses which will open the political section of the conference. These will be followed by plenary sessions led by ministers, experts, and CEOs, offering opportunity to reflect at high level on how best to effect Blue Growth. The first session will focus on sustainable coastal and maritime tourism in the light of the Communication on Coastal and Maritime Tourism. Particular issues facing islands, such as connectivity and mobility, will be the theme of the second plenary session.
Speaking in advance of the conference, Minister of State McGinley said: “I welcome the opportunity to speak on the subject of sustainable coastal and maritime tourism in the wider context of Blue Growth. Blue Growth, and in particular the development of an Action Plan for the Atlantic Strategy, is one of the priority areas in Ireland’s European Presidency programme.”
The parallel sessions later today will be more specific and will tackle the cruise sector, marine and coastal management, and the Mediterranean Sea basin. Tomorrow’s programme will concentrate on the stakeholders, in the context of the development of an integrated maritime policy.
Minister McGinley commented: “In Ireland we are taking measures to harness the potential of coastal and maritime tourism. During 2012 the Government launched an Integrated Marine Plan, called ‘Harnessing our Ocean Wealth’, to double the value of Ireland’s ocean wealth and to increase the turnover from our ocean economy. The plan is part of an overall integrated approach to the management of our marine assets and includes innovative coastal and maritime tourism projects such as the Wild Atlantic Way — a 2,500‑kilometre long-distance driving route stretching from Donegal to County Cork.”
ENDS
Published: 21st May 2013
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Speaking notes for Dinny McGinley TD
Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
European Maritime Day Conference
Valetta, Malta
21 May 2013
Commissioner, Ministers, Secretaries General, Ladies and Gentlemen
I wish to thank the Maltese hosts and Commissioner Damanaki for inviting me, on behalf of the Irish Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the EU, to the opening of the 2013 edition of the European Maritime Day Conference.
I welcome the opportunity to speak with you on the subject of sustainable coastal and maritime tourism in the wider context of Blue Growth. The relationship between the peoples of Europe and the sea is extremely important – the spread of people, culture, trade and innovation down through the centuries has been facilitated significantly by maritime links.
There is an old Irish proverb - NÍ neart go chur le chéile – together we are stronger. As Ireland nears the completion of its seventh Presidency of the European Union, we hope that we will have helped make Europe stronger for our citizens in the crucial area of jobs and growth. Blue Growth is one of the priority areas in our Presidency programme and in particular the development of an Action Plan for the Atlantic Strategy. In fact, the Irish Government looks forward to welcoming Commissioner Damanaki to Galway in the West of Ireland at the end of this very week to launch that Action Plan, which was adopted just a week ago by the Commission. The Plan identifies a range of actions designed to deliver smart, sustainable and socially inclusive growth and jobs, included in the area of maritime and coastal tourism.
In the area of maritime transport, this is an important sector for Malta and other European maritime states. The Irish Presidency has worked to implement the Maritime Labour Convention. The Presidency has already reached agreement with the European Parliament on the Port State measures and hopes also to secure agreement on the Flag State file before the end of the Presidency. In addition, we expect to make significant progress on the revised Marine Equipment Directive, which streamlines and updates procedures for approval of equipment installed on board EU ships, which is very important for the manufacturing industry and the internal market as well as for safety of EU ships.
The Irish Presidency has also focussed on the challenges and opportunities in maritime security and surveillance for effective governance and innovation in the EU's Maritime Domain. We are also progressing work on a range of Commission proposals, included in the area of maritime spatial planning and integrated coastal management.
On the larger scale, the Irish Presidency has prioritised finalising the EU’s budget for 2014-2020, which will be a key element in contributing to Europe’s economic recovery, and to future growth and to social cohesion. Work is also continuing in parallel with the European Parliament and with Member States on the budget allocations for the many programmes supported by EU funding and on implementing legislation that will give effect to the EU budget, including those budgets that can support Blue Growth.
Those of us who come from maritime countries are very much aware of the natural beauty that the sea and coastlines of Europe provide, and there is an obligation on us to protect this important asset for current and future generations. In this context, the development of sustainable tourism in coastal regions is especially important as it can provide economic opportunity to offset or replace declining opportunities in other sectors traditionally associated with maritime communities.
I would like to outline the measures we are taking in Ireland to harness the potential of coastal and maritime tourism, as part of an overall integrated approach to the management of our marine assets.
In Ireland, our surrounding ocean is a national asset, supporting a diverse marine economy, with vast potential to tap into a €1,200 billion global marine market for seafood, tourism, oil and gas, marine renewable energy, and new applications for health, medicine and technology.
Our marine resources also provide essential non-commercial benefits such as amenity and biodiversity along with our mild climate. Ireland’s marine ecosystems are home to a rich and diverse range of species and habitats. This key national asset offers significant potential but needs to be protected, managed and developed for and by our citizens.
In this context, during 2012 the Irish Government launched an Integrated Marine Plan, called ‘Harnessing our Oceans Wealth’, to double the value of Ireland’s ocean wealth to 2.4% of GDP by 2030 and increase the turnover from our ocean economy to exceed €6.4bn by 2020.
The Integrated Marine Plan provides momentum for growth in the marine area and seeks to ensure that government ministries work together more efficiently and effectively on the diverse issues related to the marine. The Plan marks a key milestone, promoting integrated planning and actions as the norm for marine and maritime affairs. The Integrated Marine Plan is also designed to make a valuable contribution to getting the environment right for investment and so stimulate essential private investment.
I would like to give you a few examples of projects that are contributing towards the achievement of the plan’s goals. These projects seek to develop our coastal tourism sector in a way that respects our natural and built heritage and provides a sustainable basis for the growth of tourism.
The first project is the Wild Atlantic Way – Ireland’s first long-distance driving route. Stretching from the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal in the north West, to Kinsale in County Cork on the southern coast, the route will offer visitors an opportunity to truly discover the West Coast of Ireland. The 2,500 kilometre route includes 156 discovery points along the way.
We believe that this project has the potential to become the European equivalent of the Great Ocean Road in Australia and the Garden Route in South Africa. The route will comprise of a central spine that will navigate visitors along Ireland’s Atlantic coast to showcase the diverse landscapes, the rugged coastline and provide them with the best experience that the West of Ireland has to offer. Over time, a number of looped itineraries will be added to the spine to deepen and enrich the experience for visitors.
The overall objective of the project is to develop a driving route that is of sufficient scale and singularity to achieve greater visibility in both overseas and domestic markets. The planned outcomes are greater visitor numbers to the west of Ireland, longer dwell time and increased visitor enjoyment and spend.
Our National Tourism Development Authority, Fáilte Ireland, will be working with tourism businesses along the route environs to help them deliver and package their Wild Atlantic Way experiences. A series of workshops will take place focussing on the main target markets of Great Britain, France, Germany and the USA, and marketing strategy for the overseas promotion of the project will be rolled out in time for the launch of the route in March 2014.
The second project is one that is complementary to the Wild Atlantic Way. It concerns the untapped potential of lighthouse properties as tourism assets.
Because of changes in technology, much of the old lighthouse infrastructure is no longer required in the continued delivery of navigation services. However these buildings still have a great value to society in terms of their history and beauty.
The Commissioners of Irish Lights and Fáilte Ireland are currently working together to explore how this asset can be harnessed to develop an all-Ireland tourism product around the coast – ‘A National Necklace of Lighthouses’.
While this project is at an early stage, we are confident that it can be developed to enhance our coastal tourism product, while aiding the preservation and conservation of maritime and lighthouse heritage through development of a new sustainable economic model.
Finally a third example: In my own constituency of North West Ireland, Donegal County Council as the lead partner for the Sail West project is successfully completing the implementation of an €8m marine tourism initiative funded through the INTERREG IVA cross border programme. The project involves 20 partners from across North West Ireland, Northern Ireland and Western Scotland and is a prime example of cross border maritime collaboration.
I hope that these three examples will give you a flavour of the approach we are taking in Ireland to developing our potential in maritime and coastal tourism. Other Member States may have differing strategies in regard to this area, and we can all learn from the examples of our fellow Europeans on how to balance the sometimes varied needs of tourism and protection of natural and built heritage.
I look forward to hearing the views of the Commission – already outlined so clearly by Commissioner Damanaki - and the other speakers on how the European Union can most effectively work to encourage coastal and maritime tourism, thereby encouraging travel both between Member States and from outside the Union.
I will end by congratulating again our Maltese hosts for providing such a wonderful venue for this Conference and by wishing you well for your deliberations ahead. {ENDS}