asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he requires the same facilities to be provided at Farmer's Cross, Cork, airfield as those provided at Carlisle airfield from which scheduled air services operate before issuing a licence and further if he will state the minimum facilities necessary at Farmer's Cross and if he is prepared to grant a licence to operate scheduled services from Cork to a private concern if these services are provided by private enterprise.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cork Airfield.
In my reply to a question addressed to me by the Deputy in Dáil Eireann on the 22nd July last, I indicated the facilities which would be required at Farmer's Cross for the operation of scheduled air services. These are the minimum facilities necessary and I am not prepared to modify them by reference to the standard prevailing elsewhere if that standard falls below the required minimum.
I am not at present prepared to grant a licence to any concern in the operation of scheduled air services to and from Cork.
Will the Minister answer the question? Will he grant a licence to a firm in Cork that is prepared to provide all the facilities without asking the taxpayers to pay one penny, facilities that are equal to the facilities provided in Carlisle which is an internationally recognised airport?
So far as I know, the only services operating in Carlisle airport are operating in summer and in daylight, and from my point of view the facilities available there are not sufficient to justify the operation of scheduled air services.
Will the Minister agree that they have been internationally accepted as fulfilling the minimum requirements?
The standards are below those that I consider necessary for the public safety.
Can the Minister give any indication as to when a decisionwill be taken as to whether we are going to have an airport established in Cork or not?
The decision to establish an airport in Cork has been taken, as the Deputy knows. The question of where it is going to be will be decided in the near future.
Am I to take it that, because Aer Lingus has 90 individuals per plane employed, any other body that can operate efficiently will not be permitted to operate?
The Deputy may take it that I certainly will not sanction scheduled air services unless I am satisfied that they are safe.
The people of Cork do not care who operates it so long as it is operated.
I have the responsibility of deciding whether it is safe to operate scheduled air services, a responsibility which cannot be devolved on somebody else.
Are you maintaining a monopoly for Aer Lingus?
Question No. 7.
If there are private individuals who are prepared to spend sufficient money to make the airport an efficient one, will the Minister still refuse to give the licence?
That is another question. The facilities which I think are necessary are not there now.