The chief executive of the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation, Mr Brendan Leahy, told the planning hearing that tourism needed a national conference centre, as the State had lost a number of conferences to other countries in the 1990s because it had no venue able to cater for large numbers.
Mr Leahy said the confederation strongly supported the proposal for the convention centre. "When the 1994 to 1999 Operational Programme for Tourism was being drafted, we pointed out that Ireland's inability to compete for international conferences represented a major loss of potential tourism revenue both to the industry and to the economy," he said.
The study group, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, which developed the proposal for an international convention centre, concluded that its establishment would be of major benefit to the tourist industry.
The development of a national conference centre was highlighted as a flagship project which would provide valuable revenue and contribute to extending the season, Mr Leahy said.
"Without facilities to host large international conventions, the Irish tourist industry will not realise its full potential," he pointed out.
The international conference and convention business was a very important segment within the tourism industry. It was a high-yield business with visitors spending up to £900 per person, double the average spent by other visitors. It helped provide continuous employment and was also very promotable. Convention business helped Irish industry to penetrate new markets, Mr Leahy said.
Asked if he had any comments about the size of the proposed conference centre, Mr Leahy said: "We do know that during the 1990s we did lose a number of important conferences to other countries because we couldn't have accommodated numbers between 1,200 and 1,400."
Mr Terry McCoy, representing the 420 members of the Irish Restaurants Association, said the lack of a national conference centre was a drawback for the whole tourism and hospitality package.
The project provided the opportunity of many catering jobs in the conference centre itself and for many restaurants to provide food there.
"We've been dogged in the past by seasonality, and a national conference centre on such a scale and size would even out seasonability and assist all our businesses," he said.
Mr John Howard, former association president, said he believed that, with the number of hotels in the State now, something like the national conference centre was needed to fill hotel bedrooms, particularly in the quiet tourist season.
"It is noticeable that at certain times of the year when we do have conferences, the business makes an enormous difference to our trade," Mr Howard said.