In the past ten years Ireland has achieved rapid and unprecedented economic growth. Tourism has played a key part in this success story and is now one of the fastest growing sectors in the economy. As one of Ireland's major indigenous industries, tourism provides a significant opportunity for the people to develop sustainable businesses based on our greatest natural asset, our marine environment.
The importance of the marine tourism sector has been recognised by the Government through its allocation of €25 million for the marine leisure tourism sector under the National Development Plan 2000-2006. Under the plan, my Department has been charged with developing and putting in place a cohesive and administratively efficient marine tourism grant scheme to support a range of quality and broad based projects. The objective of the scheme is to support the development of the marine tourism sector by improving quality and capacity in a sustainable way. Specific targets are access infrastructure, such as marinas, berths and slipways, and integrated development and co-operative partnerships, particularly in relation to networks and clusters. The scheme, which I recently launched, will be part of the two regional operational programmes and will see the BMW region benefit from an €18 million investment while the south and east region will see a total investment of just under €8 million.
Prior to the introduction of this scheme, my Department provided funding of €5.71 million for four flagship marina projects at Caherciveen, Kenmare, Roundstone and Rosses Point. I have also in recent months established new and innovative pilot projects to promote marine tourism in two specific areas, Ceanntar na nOileán, County Galway, and the Mullet Peninsula in County Mayo, where there is little investment and limited employment opportunities at present.