Clare's Fianna Fáil TD says the loss of the Websummit could impact significantly on the country's reputation internationally.
The Tánaiste has defended the Governments’ efforts to keep the Web Summit in Ireland.
Joan Burton was speaking after the technology conference’s founder Paddy Cosgrave released correspondence with the Taoiseach’s Department – which he says show ‘inaction’ on behalf of the Government.
The corresponsance shows he was frustrated at efforts to meet his demands for free transport and improved wifi at the Summit’s venue in the RDS.
The conference has been worth an estimated 100 million euro to the economy every year – and will be moving to Portugal in 2016.
Minister Burton says the coalition did everything it could to satisfy the Web Summit’s founders.
But Fianna Fáil's Tourism Spokesman and Clare TD Timmy Dooley is rejecting that.
He believes that the loss of the Web Summit accounts for a significant loss to the economy in terms of the amount of revenue that would have been raised from hotels, restaurants and taxis.
But Deputy Dooley insists that Ireland's reputation has also suffered a negative blow in terms of attracting technology giants to the country in the future.
And he insists the Government must engage with conference founders in order to return the event to Ireland.
