asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will revise the arrangements at Shannon Airport duty-free shop by which articles of foreign manufacture receive as much, if not more, advertisement than articles of Irish manufacture; and if he will provide that no articles of foreign manufacture will be exposed for sale where a similar article of satisfactory quality which is produced and manufactured in Ireland is available.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Shannon Airport Duty-Free Shop.
52.
I am satisfied that there is the fullest emphasis on Irish made goods and that suitable home produced goods are given prominence in display at the duty-free shop at Shannon. I am glad to say that each year the tendency is for the volume of Irish goods sold by the duty-free shop to increase.
Apart from providing a shop-window for Irish made goods the shop at Shannon caters for an international clientele in competition with duty-free shops at other airports. The range of goods offered for sale and the advertising programme must be such as to appeal to this clientele.
I should add that of the foreign goods sold (excluding liquor) 83 per cent. in a recent period consisted of sales of three types of articles not manufactured here.