asked the Minister for Communications if any discussions have taken place with the United States immigration authorities with a view to having a customs unit and a federal express base located in Shannon Airport to be used for customs and immigration clearance into the United States by people from East European countries.
Written Answers. - Shannon Airport Facilities.
543.
The question of introducing US customs-immigration pre-clearance facilities at Shannon has been under consideration for some time and a number of meetings have been held with the various United States' authorities involved. The matter was explored most recently at a meeting which took place in Washington on 17-18 April 1984 and it is envisaged that there will be further contact between the Irish and United States' authorities at the end of the current summer season.
Federal Express is an American airline-courier company which expressed interest some time ago in extending its operations to Europe. Aer Rianta have been promoting Shannon to Federal Express as a suitable base for a European operation and Aer Rianta are continuing to explore possibilities in that regard.