The vast majority of tourism operators believe the worst is over after the beleaguered sector suffered one of its toughest years, it was revealed today.

TOURISM bosses yesterday expressed concern about a decline in the number of hotel rooms in Dublin city centre and called on the Government to consider making available the use of state buildings to counteract the problem.

A FLOATING pub and restaurant on Dublin’s River Liffey has been granted a seven-day licence in the Circuit Civil Court.

Dublin hotels have reached an all time occupancy high, despite a sharp rise in operational costs within the hospitality industry in Ireland.

CHINA Real Estate Opportunities (CREO), the property vehicle controlled by Johnny Ronan and Richard Barrett, has completed a £259 million (€382m) fundraising drive.

IRELAND should be welcoming 10 million visitors by 2012 — that’s the target set by Fianna Fáil in its tourism manifesto, launched yesterday.

SPORTS minister John O’Donoghue yesterday unveiled an €85 million windfall to help sporting organisations across the country find, train and push the star athletes, footballers and rugby aces of the future.

THE National Pension Reserve Fund (NPRF) made a €2.2 billion profit on its investments in 2005.

THE Spencer Dock International Conference Centre Consortium was invited to become the provisional preferred tenderer for the building of a National Conference Centre in Dublin.

Peter Levy

Tourism has grown to become a mainstay of our economy, writes KEVIN MILLS.

Fine Gael has accused the Government of dragging its feet on the development of a National Conference Centre.

MICHEÁL MARTIN vowed to maintain the country's economic competitiveness and be a consumer champion in his new post as enterprise, trade and employment minister.

The race to win the contract to build a new National Conference Centre in Dublin has narrowed to three candidates, it was announced today.

John O'Donoghue, TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, said today that four submissions have been received in response to the Office of Public Works' advertisement for expressions of interest to build a National Conference Centre in Dublin.

MILLIONAIRE businessman and leading Fianna Fáil supporter, Jim Mansfield, has admitted he was “technically wrong” to begin construction work on a €50m conference centre at his Citywest hotel and golf complex in south-west Dublin without fully-authorised planning permission.

Construction begins today on the National Convention Centre in West Dublin, which is to be significantly larger than the Government's proposed National Conference Centre.

WORK starts today on a €50 million, 16,000-seater convention centre in west Dublin - the first phase of a proposed €800 million plan that will transform the area.

The Government has begun the process of establishing the long-awaited National Conference Centre in Dublin.

THE tourism sector can double its value to the economy to €6 billion by 2012 and increase visitor numbers from six million to 10 million, according to a major new report.

The Government has agreed in principle to the leasing of a new National Conference Centre in Dublin.