Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 19 Apr 1994

Vol. 441 No. 5

Adjournment Debate. - Shannon Task Force Report.

Mr. Carey

I am grateful for the opportunity to raise this important matter on the Adjournment tonight. On Tuesday, 27 October 1992 the then Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications, Deputy Geoghegan-Quinn, announced the setting up of a special traffic development task force for Shannon airport. A high powered group of exceptionally qualified members, including the very talented Gillian Bowler, was given £1 million of taxpayers' money to undertake this review. They hired top level consultants and reported in time for some plans to be effected during the 1994 tourism season.

Why has there been a delay in publishing the report? Could it be that the Government is aware of recent setbacks such as the curtailment of Transair and Ryanair services to Shannon, the negative response to the Aeroflot application for pick-up rights on Shannon-New York, the sale of SRS without any consultation of Aer Lingus employees, the huge drop in sales at the duty free shop following the Aer Lingus decision to fly Shannon-Dublin-New York or the new transatlantic services of US airlines into Dublin, which is of concern to airport employees?

Workers at the airport are suspicious of the Government's sweet talk on this issue. There are those who claim that the publication is being cynically delayed for the Taoiseach's proposed visit to the mid-west on his election tour.

Mr. N. Treacy

It has not been planned yet.

Mr. Carey

We are reliably informed that Mr. Albert Reynolds——

An Ceann Comhairle

The Taoiseach.

Mr. Carey

——the Taoiseach, is coming to the mid-west to give us the benefit once more of his wisdom in this area. I am aware that a special group is busy examining the prospects for the Shannon Estuary. The money that has been spent studying the potential of the Shannon Estuary would, if invested properly, create several thousand jobs, but for some reason the people in Merrion Street do not seem to take any notice of such matters.

I would like the Minister to warn the Government that the electorate is aware that their decision in the ballot boxes will be important in the coming June election. When the boxes are opened I expect there will be a roar of disapproval for Fianna Fáil and Labour in County Clare because of the delay in implementing proposals such as those that have been outlined in the report of this task force. I appeal to the Minister, if he is not prepared to publish the entire document, to at least give his approval to the proposed customs clearance area that has been negotiated between Aer Rianta and the CIS countries where the Russian customs clearance people have offered to set up a haulage area designated in Shannon which will create substantial employment and which would become an east-west crossroads for freight traffic. I do not understand why the Government would delay on such matters.

The then Minister for Transport, Deputy Geoghegan-Quinn, was regarded as an honourable person. I do not wish to be entirely critical of the Minister but if I read out the entire press statement that was issued on 27 October 1992, the Minister would not make any reply here this evening but I will not do that. I will give the Minister an opportunity to impress on his pals in Aer Lingus the need to uphold committments they have given. They said that a transatlantic fleet would be based in Shannon; that has now been changed. They said that 200 transatlantic staff would be transferred to Shannon; nothing has happened about that. With regard to the fixing of fares, they said there would be no common fares and that there would be a bias in favour of Shannon; unfortunately, that has gone the other way. The regional subvention has been redirected from Cork to Dublin.

An Ceann Comhairle

I would ask the Deputy to bring his speech to a close.

Mr. Carey

People in our area are very concerned and because the Minister of State comes from just north of the mid-west——

Mr. N. Treacy

I regard myself as coming from the mid-west.

Mr. Carey

——he is aware that there have been some difficulties there which should be addressed immediately. The Minister has an opportunity to do that by publishing this report.

Mr. N. Treacy

I have listened with great interest to Deputy Carey. In June 1993, the Government set up the Shannon Airport Traffic Development Task Force with the brief: to develop additional passenger and freight traffic through Shannon Airport. The task force was asked to examine specifically increasing tourism charter traffic into Shannon; making the airport more user-friendly for transatlantic traffic; developing more scheduled services to and from Europe; developing more cargo traffic and developing hubbing services at Shannon.

The task force invited submissions from the general public and from local and national organisations concerned with air transport, air freight and tourism. It met all State agencies, airlines, tour operators and tourism interests connected with Shannon. It also engaged consultants to report on key aviation and tourism related issues. Having examined and discussed the large amount of material generated through this process the task force presented its report to Minister Cowen at the end of December last.

Its report contained a number of far-reaching proposals, the implications of which warranted detailed consideration by our Department. That task is nearing completion and we hope to be in a position to announce the Government's decision on the task force's recommendations soon.

We absolutely reject any suggestion that there has been any delay in acting on this report which was prepared on the basis that it was confidential to the Minister as the responsible authority. Accordingly, it was not our intention to publish the report. Minister Cowen informed the Dáil of this position on 30 March 1994. However, in response to the points raised by various public representatives, we will examine again the feasibility of publishing the report.

This Government is absolutely committed to the development of Shannon. We have a track record of supporting Shannon and bestowing benefits on it which other regions did not receive. Shannon must accept that the international aviation is a fluctuating business and we must take decisions that protect the best interests both of Shannon and Irish aviation. The commitments we have given will be honoured. It will take some time to put the package into operation but we are committed to the development of the area and to the continued success of Shannon. The Deputy can reassure his constituents about this. I am sure that on 9 June the people of Clare will overwhelmingly endorse the efforts of the Government.