asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he will outline the advantages which accrue to the economy due to Shannon being the sole trans-atlantic airport for Ireland, which obliges scheduled flights to land in both directions and also requires charter flights to call one-way.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Shannon Airport.
9.
The Shannon stop obligation has been part of Government policy since the commencement of trans-atlantic services and has been a key factor in the continuation of Shannon as a significant transatlantic airport and an important centre of economic life in the mid-west region. As Ireland's trans-atlantic gateway, Shannon Airport has generated positive returns for the Irish economy in general, and the west of Ireland in particular. Its impact has been mainly in the areas of tourism and industrial development.
In so far as tourism is concerned, the requirements in relation to transatlantic flights mean that a large proportion of tourism traffic from the US enters Ireland at Shannon. This has given rise to the development of major tourist facilities and infrastructure in the area and the surrounding regions which create a highly favourable first impression of Ireland. Shannon Airport is ideally located as an entry point to some of the principal areas of tourist interest in the south, west and mid-west regions of the country and opens up a wide range of options for tourists in terms of places to visit. It is clear that Shannon Airport generates considerable benefits for the less developed parts of the country. For example, over 5,000 full-time jobs in tourism in the south, west and mid-west regions depend on US tourists.
In so far as industrial development is concerned, Shannon's status has been a major factor in attracting US investment in Ireland. There are some 108 US manufacturing companies located in the west and mid-west regions, employing about 12,450 people. This represents 32 per cent of all US manufacturing employment in Ireland and the presence of all year-round flights between the US and Shannon Airport has been a major factor in these companies deciding to locate in the west and mid-west regions.
For over 40 years Shannon Airport has been the hub around which major economic and social developments have taken place in the mid-west and surrounding regions. The economic and social benefits which have resulted are incalculable. There can be no doubt that development on the scale which has occurred in the region could not have taken place without the airport and the associated customs free zone.
Successive Governments have maintained the Shannon stop requirement in order to ensure that the benefits created by the existence of a major international airport in the west of Ireland should continue. The results, which are there to be seen in terms of employment and wealth creation, have clearly justified this policy.
I have two questions to ask the Minister. In his reply he illustrated some of the benefits which are received by the tourist interests in the mid-west and in the western areas. Would the Minister not agree that statistics are available to make comparisons between tourists who disembark at Shannon and tourists who disembark at Dublin and that the tourists who disembark at Shannon spend four additional bed-nights in the country over the average tourist who disembarks at Dublin? Would the Minister agree that it would never be possible to accede to the very partisan request of the wealthy Dublin lobby who want the overfly proposal initiated at an extreme cost to the west coast region? Would the Minister not agree——
I think the Deputy has made his point rather effectibely and eloquently.
He seemed to be admitting in a recent television interview that he was conceding——
The Deputy has done very well and he should not over do it.
Thank you.
I have fully outlined my view of Shannon as being a kind of powerhouse for both tourist and industrial development in that particular region. I want to indicate to the Deputy that the Government have no intention of changing their policy in that regard. I want to point out, however, that statistics show us, for example, that many tourists visit Dublin who first fly direct to London and come back to Dublin. We have been making an analysis of those figures. That is also a factor to be taken into account.