PROMOTIONS:MEP JIM Higgins has said that he and his colleagues were "deeply embarrassed" by a no show by Ireland at an international food fair last week outside the offices of the European Parliament in Brussels.
Mr Higgins, the only Irish member of the European Parliament Tourism Committee, said all the 26 other EU member countries were represented at the fair.
An empty stall, which was set aside for the Irish, had a plastic tricolour and an empty bottle of Murphy’s stout, he added.
He described the omission as “appalling” at a time when Fáilte Ireland figures showed overseas visitor numbers to Ireland were down by 12 per cent last year.
“My office contacted the event’s organiser only to be told that, because of the cutbacks in Ireland, the office was not in a position to participate in the event,” he said.
“Even Greece, the economic basket case of Europe, has an exotic stand showcasing its finest food products,” said Mr Higgins.
