Vol. 500 No. 7
144 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the action, if any, she has taken or will take to introduce competition on the air route between Cork and Dublin airports; the suggestion, if any, she has to reduce the cost to commuters of the present air service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5215/99]
Under the EU Air Transport Liberalisation Measures it is open to any air carrier licensed by a European Economic Area Member State, 15 EU States and Norway and Iceland, to introduce services between EEA member states, and as from 1 April 1997, point to point services within particular EEA States. While it is my pol icy to encourage as many commercial air services as possible in both domestic and international markets, the introduction of services, the capacity to be provided and the fares to be charged are matters for the commercial judgment of the carriers concerned and there are no longer any Government controls.
