Supporting Kilkenny Tourism Industry

 

Transport 21 – Supporting Kilkenny’s Tourism Industry

· More than 2 million tourists visited the South East region in 2007, spending €526 million
· Tens of thousands visit Kilkenny Castle, making it the most popular tourist destination in the county
· Better roads, trains and regional airports – delivered under Transport 21 programme – will support the continued development of regional tourism

Thursday, August 14th

Transport 21, the largest investment package ever in Ireland’s transport infrastructure, is making a significant contribution to the ongoing development of Ireland’s tourism industry. The plan – which covers the period from 2006 to 2015 – is transforming transport links, giving visitors to Ireland greater options when it comes to travelling between our cities and accessing the rural countryside.

Commenting today, Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey TD, said:

“The value of tourism to Kilkenny City and County is very considerable. In 2007, more than 2.1 million tourists visited the South East region, spending more than €526 million whilst there. A number of very popular tourist destinations are located in Kilkenny. Kilkenny Castle was visited by almost 180,000 people in 2006, with Nicholas Mosse Pottery, based in Bennettsbridge, receiving 80,000 visitors in the same year. More than 30,000 visited Dunmore Cave with 28,500 calling to Jerpoint Abbey.

“On top of these attractions, major events – like the Kilkenny Arts Festival, and the Cat Laugh’s Comedy Festival – continue to entice people from all over Ireland, and abroad, to visit Kilkenny.

“The Transport 21 package of investment in Ireland’s transport infrastructure is supporting the continued development of regional tourism. By making it easier, safer and more pleasant to travel around Ireland, Transport 21 is helping Kilkenny City and County make the most of their very considerable tourist attractions.

“When it comes to encouraging people to travel around Ireland, road developments are understandably very important. Transport 21 has funded the 8km N24 Piltown/Fiddown scheme, and the 4km N77 Kilkenny Ring Road, both of which are open to traffic. But it is the development of the N9 Dublin to Waterford route which will perhaps make the most positive impact on Kilkenny City and County.


“The new N9 corridor will be 116 kms in length, and will provide motorway standard road between Dublin and Waterford. The route is on time, and on budget, for completion in 2010. In May, the first section of the new N9 corridor, the €216.5m Carlow Bypass, was opened to traffic. By improving the main road route into the South East, Transport 21 is making it much easier for visitors to Ireland to travel to Kilkenny City, and surrounding towns.

“Rail services in Kilkenny, and the South East region, are also benefitting significantly from Transport 21 investment. Iarnród Éireann is in the process of introducing new Intercity Railcars across the network, bringing a new standard of comfort and quality to train travel. The experience of travelling in these new Intercity Railcars is second to none: fully air-conditioned carriages, subtle lighting, and spacious, comfortable seating are fitted throughout the new fleet.

“Dedicated wheelchair spaces are provided, and wheelchair accessible toilets are also in place. The new Intercity Railcar fleet will also be the greenest diesel train fleet in Europe, using new green engine technology developed in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The first of these Railcars on the Waterford line entered service on 5 August. The rest will be introduced on a phased basis, benefiting commuters, residents and visitors to Kilkenny alike.

“Transport 21 is also funding new, state-of-the-art, vehicles for Bus Éireann. As part of a comprehensive package of investment in the bus network, Transport 21 is funding 239 new vehicles for the service.

“Tourism makes a major contribution to Ireland’s economy. I believe that, by substantially improving our road, rail, bus and regional airport links, Transport 21 will have a positive impact on our tourism industry by making it easier, safer and more pleasant to travel around Ireland. The Transport 21 package of investment is already delivering tangible benefits to the transport infrastructure in the South East, and more improvements are on the way.”

Ends.

Note to editors:

The latest figures released by the Central Statistics Office show that the number of visitors to Ireland in the first quarter of the year reached 1,542,000. This is an increase of 4% when compared with the first quarter of 2007. These visitors made a huge contribution to the economy, with spending valued at €824 million for the January, February and March 2008 period. Last year, expenditure by visitors to Ireland for 2007 was estimated to be €4.9 billion .
Since it was launched two years ago, Transport 21 has invested €4.7 billion in transport networks across Ireland. Almost €3 billion is being spent by Transport 21 in 2008.

Transport 21 investment will significantly improve links between the major urban centres, and improve links to all regions, which will be of significant benefit to tourists. 406 kilometres of the Major Inter-Urban routes (MIU) linking Dublin to Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford is under construction, and is on time and on budget for 2010 completion. 332 kilometres of the MIU routes are already open to traffic.

Transport 21 is also investing heavily in public transport improvements. Visitors to Ireland who chose to travel by bus or train will benefit from more comfortable and more frequent services. Transport 21 has invested in Intercity Railcars on the Sligo, Galway, Limerick and Westport lines, and before the end of 2008 they will also be introduced on the Waterford, Kerry, Rosslare, Athlone, Carlow and Portlaoise lines.

New buses for Bus Éireann are enhancing existing services and allowing for the introduction of new routes. Transport 21 funding has allowed Bus Éireann to order 239 new vehicles, offering tourists who chose to travel across Ireland by bus greater comfort and safety.


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