Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Mar 2007

Vol. 633 No. 1

Adjournment Debate.

Air Services.

Mr. P. Breen

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise the important issue of open skies. I am delighted my colleague from Limerick East, Deputy O'Sullivan, is also raising the issue. Only last week, I spoke on the Adjournment about the crisis in the catering services at Shannon Airport. The airport is facing a critical period in the coming months and years in an era of open skies. People in the region are very concerned about the airport and the Government's commitment to it. Obviously, there will be some opposition to the open skies agreement among the transport Ministers — I understand the UK has some reservations — but it is expected it will be ratified at a US-EU summit on 30 April next.

The Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, talks up open skies and claims significant economic benefits will flow from such an agreement. That may be so, but if that is to happen, Shannon Airport must be prepared for it. I have always argued that while open skies are good for Dublin, they may not be good for Shannon. When the Minister, Deputy Cullen, negotiated the amendment to the current bilateral agreement in November 2005, it was a bad deal for Shannon. He negotiated an 18-month transitional period for the airport when it should have got three to five years to prepare for open skies. Unfortunately, that did not happen.

We were of the opinion that an 18-month transitional period would come into place once an agreement between the EU and the US was signed. It now appears the Minster has backtracked once again and that this transitional period has applied since last October. If the open skies agreement is signed off in April, Shannon Airport will only have a 12-month transitional period, which is a very short time — just one season. The Minister has sold out the mid-west and has done a very bad job in preparing Shannon Airport for open skies. I wonder how his colleagues in the European Commission feel on this issue because they never had any problem with Shannon Airport having its own agreement in preparation for full open skies.

The Minister went on local radio yesterday to defend his transitional period and open skies. As I said, we now know the transitional period is for 12 months. He claims the Government has put the necessary infrastructure in place in the mid-west region to prepare it for open skies but that is not the case — it is not in place. The Minister will argue the Ennis bypass has opened but that is only part of the solution, and only part of the bypass is open at present. We need to have full infrastructure in place and a full bypass through all towns, particularly Gort and Crusheen, to open the west to Shannon Airport. This will not be in place for some years.

I am sure Deputy O'Sullivan will have similar to say in regard to the Shannon tunnel, which will not open for a few years yet. Anyone travelling through Limerick city at peak morning work times will see the problems people must endure, such as a travel time of one hour. Passengers who travel to Shannon Airport via Limerick city are also facing a critical problem. The infrastructure is not in place. Neither is the western rail corridor, which the Minister promised to improve with rail infrastructure for the airport. That will not happen until 2008 at the earliest, and only from Athenry. For the Minister to say the Government has delivered the infrastructure in preparation for open skies is entirely untrue. I hope some of that infrastructure can be fast-tracked in preparation for this agreement.

I would also like to know what will happen for the 2007 season at Shannon Airport. We were told a tourism and development plan would be in place to prepare for open skies but we are now told by the Minister, in another U-turn, that this plan is currently being prepared and that it will come into place when the open skies policy begins to operate. That is not good enough from the Minister and his officials. This tourism and development plan should have been in place 12 months before open skies. I am disappointed this has happened.

The Minister has made a solo run and has let down the west. I hope the Government will do something to bring forward the infrastructure and the tourism and development plan so Shannon Airport is prepared for open skies and can compete with the other airports in Ireland, particularly Dublin Airport.

Ms O’Sullivan

I am happy to raise this issue with Deputy Pat Breen. The news that agreement on an open skies transatlantic deal is imminent and likely to be put in place in 2008 has sent shock waves through the mid-west. It is not that we did not know it was coming but that commitments on transitional arrangements for Shannon are so blatantly being thrown aside by the Government.

This is the biggest change in the history of Shannon Airport, which has known many changes over the years. Its consequences cannot simply be left to chance. I want to quote from the reply to my Adjournment matter of 8 November 2005 and to my written parliamentary question tabled on 27 June 2006. In November 2005, I was told: "I want to assure the Deputy that it has been the consistent policy of this Government that any change in transatlantic arrangements will be accompanied by an appropriate transitional arrangement to enable a smooth phasing in of open skies with the US in the future." Last June, the Minister, Deputy Cullen, stated:

In announcing the agreement reached with the US authorities last November, I indicated that I would prepare, in consultation with my colleagues, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, a tourism and economic development plan for Shannon and the West of Ireland. Preparation of this plan is at an advanced stage.

I was told that last June but, nine months later, the plan is nowhere to be seen and the lead-in time for open skies has been reduced to one year. How can the Government renege on promises that are vital to the continued prosperity of the mid-west and west?

I call on the Minister of State to ask his colleague to publish the tourism and economic development plan without further delay and to begin its implementation immediately. An estimated €44 million is required over a five-year period to sustain the marketing and tourism product and the 75 American companies, employing 29,000 people between Donegal and north Kerry, must be assured that they will continue to have regular flights, winter as well as summer, for their business needs.

I emphasise the reference to winter because there is a real concern there will be summer but not winter flights. Without it, the job losses in Limerick and potential job losses in Nenagh that are in the news today will be followed by many more. This is not idle speculation. It is based on what has happened in other countries where airlines have consolidated their business into and out of the capital city. In particular, we need an assurance that the national airline, Aer Lingus, will not renege on the commitment made two years ago by its CEO, Mr. Dermot Mannion, that it would maintain regular winter flights. There is real scepticism in the Shannon region about Aer Lingus's commitment to Shannon and we need to see a commitment to maintaining flights into and out of Shannon all year round when open skies becomes a reality.

The national development plan and Transport 21 are delivering huge infrastructural projects to the eastern part of the country but the western road and rail corridor has a much longer timeframe and there is no commitment to funding a rail link to Shannon, even though a feasibility study has now been completed. Road links to Dublin are given a far higher priority than links from a wider hinterland to Shannon. How can the airport compete unless a critical mass of the population can get to it easily? I refer to people in the west midlands who go to Dublin at the moment but who would, if the roads were decent, travel to Shannon.

While attaching no priority or urgency to Shannon, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, had no problem in finding €22 million for Waterford Regional Airport. That is significant and it is about time the Government party representatives for the mid-west stood up and insisted their region be looked after as well. The wide web of industry and tourism that has been built up on the strength of the access provided by Shannon Airport could fade away unless it is sustained and developed at this critical time. We want clear answers and commitments on these issues and we want Government Deputies and Senators who represent the people of the mid-west to wake up and fight for their constituents.

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Mr. B. Lenihan)

I thank Deputies Pat Breen and O'Sullivan for raising this matter on the Adjournment.

The Government is committed to the liberalisation of air transport services between Ireland and the US and it is my firm belief that the introduction of an EU-US open skies regime will be good for Irish tourism, good for the country's business links and good for the economy generally. A number of reports, such as the Brattle report for the European Commission, the report of the tourism policy review group and the Air Transport Users Council, ATUC, of the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland, all support moving to open skies with the US as soon as possible.

As experience at European level shows, liberalisation leads to strong growth and decreased prices in the aviation market. Freedom of access leads to many more destinations being served. A liberalised EU-US open skies environment could lead to similar growth across the Atlantic and will also mean more business opportunities for Irish airlines, particularly Aer Lingus. The Government's main objective in selling a majority of its shareholding in Aer Lingus last year was to provide the company with access to new equity to enable it to compete effectively and to grow its business on short-haul and long-haul routes. As a result of the proceeds generated by the IPO, Aer Lingus will, under the proposed open skies regime, have a unique opportunity to fulfil its potential and to contribute in a positive way to the country's economic development through the expansion of its transatlantic operations. It is noted that the head of the Irish Hotels Federation recently commented that open skies with the US could double the number of US visitors to 2 million within seven years, generating an extra €1 billion for the Irish economy.

In November 2005, EU and US negotiators concluded work on the text of a first phase EU-US open skies agreement that included a transitional arrangement for Ireland, relating to the phasing out of the Shannon stop. During the transition period, the ratio of Dublin to Shannon flights would move from 1:1 to 3:1, so that for every one flight to or from Shannon, a carrier could provide three flights to or from Dublin. The draft agreement was unanimously endorsed at the December 2005 Transport Council subject to sufficient progress by the US side on opening up ownership and control of US airlines to EU investors.

In December 2006, following opposition from Congress, the US authorities withdrew the rule-making proposal concerning control and ownership of US airlines. The rule-making provision has been a key demand for a number of member states and its withdrawal by the US side is a significant barrier to concluding the EU-US open skies agreement. Negotiations at EU-US level resumed in January 2007, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to the goal of concluding an EU-US agreement that would open access to markets and maximise benefits on both sides of the Atlantic.

Following intensive negotiations over recent weeks a draft open skies agreement between the EU and US was finalised last week and the text will be presented to Transport Ministers for decision at the next Council meeting on 22 March 2007. As the transitional arrangements were incorporated in the proposed EU-US aviation agreement, their implementation was conditional on the conclusion of that agreement. It has been agreed with the US and the EU that these transitional arrangements will stand and will enter into effect immediately following approval of the draft agreement by the Council of Ministers. It is not true to say that a reduced transition period has been negotiated. The original transitional provisions, as negotiated in November 2005, still stand.

The Minister is confident that the liberalisation of air transport services will deliver major benefits for Ireland's economy. The additional access to the US, as well as the increased numbers of US tourists into Ireland, will greatly benefit Irish tourism, aviation and business links generally in all parts of the country, including Shannon and the wider mid-west region. With a view to assisting Shannon Airport and the wider region to adapt to the proposed new arrangements under an open skies regime, the Department of Transport is currently finalising an economic and tourism development plan for Shannon. This plan was initiated in the context of the ongoing EU-US negotiations on open skies when negotiators concluded work on the text of a first phase EU-US agreement in November 2005, which included a transitional arrangement for Ireland relating to the phasing out of the Shannon stop.

In preparing the plan, the Department of Transport has consulted with the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment and the Department of Finance. A liaison group, established by the Mid-West Regional Authority, has separately prepared a report on the future development of the Shannon region as an input to the plan. The Minister intends to bring the economic and tourism development plan to fruition in the context of the formal agreement of the EU-US open skies proposals.

The aviation industry has experienced dramatic change in recent years and the future development and growth of all international and regional airports in the State will depend largely on how each airport responds to the new challenges and the extent to which emerging opportunities, such as open skies, can be exploited. If Shannon Airport is to develop as a successful and sustainable business it is clear that one of the issues that must be addressed in its business plan is the airport's uncompetitive cost base. When that obstacle is overcome the airport has a real opportunity to develop new markets and to attract the airline customers that it needs for its commercial future, the area's tourism and other industry.

School Closures.

Mr. McHugh

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for allowing me to raise the serious issue of the threatened closure of Seamount College, Kinvara. The saga surrounding Seamount College is well known to everybody. It is known to the Department of Education and Science and the Minister for Education and Science, and last week the Tánaiste visited the school and was apprised of the situation by the very active and professional committee running the campaign to retain the college.

As I said, the facts are available to everybody and presented in a manner which is easily understood. Facts and figures have been put forward to show the need for this school now and in the future. The statistics are indisputable and it is, therefore, incomprehensible that the Minister has not acted on this issue to date.

A simple request was made to the Minister in the initial stages to create a mechanism for the enrolment of first-year students in Seamount College in September 2007. To date the response from the Minister has been stunning silence. That stunning silence is no way for a Minister to behave, especially when young people and the quality of the education they receive is at risk. The Minister is responsible for those students but to date has failed to live up to her responsibility. In the catchment area of Seamount College the CSO figures and primary school enrolments show growth of about 30% in the four years 2002-06. In time this growth will impact on secondary schools.

Parents in the catchment area of Seamount College have been attempting to have it opened to boys and girls. The figures show there will be 600 boys and girls of secondary school age in the catchment area in three years' time. Approximately 500 of these are already in the eight local primary schools. Under the ham-fisted approach adopted by the Department and the Minister, it has been suggested the children can be sent to neighbouring secondary schools. The enrolment statistics and capacity of the schools, namely, Calasanctious College, Oranmore, and Gort community school, have been studied. Taking into account the statistics relating to Seamount College, it is simply not possible for the latter two schools to cope with the numbers that must be accommodated.

The population of the area is growing so rapidly that there will, even if Seamount College were to remain open, be a severe shortage of school places in as little as two or three years' time. Even if the college is allowed to remain open and convert to co-ed, Gort community school needs to be expanded to cater for 1,000 students. Where do the Minister and the Department of Education and Science expect those children to find school places?

Why close Seamount College? Gort and Oranmore have excellent schools but the places available are required by the children who live in both towns. The 600 children from the Seamount College catchment area are entitled to be educated in their locality. The Minister, her officials and the Government should act in order to ensure this happens. The only way it will happen is for a secondary school to continue to operate in Kinvara. The Minister and the Government are the only people who can facilitate this. The time for talking is over and the time for analysing figures has passed. The statistics are stark, the figures add up and the numbers are there; all that is missing is Government action.

Government thinking in respect of this matter is worthy of attention. On his visit to the school last week, the Tánaiste stated the situation was unacceptable. This leads one to believe that the Fianna Fáil wing of the Government is intent on closing the school. We need clarification in respect of this matter. If the Tánaiste is in favour of the school's survival but cannot bring it about, are we to believe the Progressive Democrats has no influence within the Government? The Progressive Democrats promises in respect of this issue are of no use. We need that party to demonstrate that it has influence within the Administration by bringing about a Government decision to save the school. The Fianna Fáil wing of the Government can avoid being forced into action by the Progressive Democrats by making the decision to save the school before the latter exerts pressure.

The Government parties should not play politics with this issue. The children, their education and their futures are too important and the situation too serious to allow anyone to play politics. I plead with the Minister to show that she cares, to live up to her responsibilities and to immediately move to save Seamount College.

Mr. B. Lenihan

I thank Deputy McHugh for raising this matter. I am making this reply on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin.

In October 2006, the trustees of Seamount College, namely, the Sisters of Mercy, announced their intention to withdraw as providers of education in the Kinvara area and to close Seamount College. The latter is a voluntary secondary school and decisions such as this are within the remit of the patron body, the Mercy Sisters. The trustees decided that closure was to be on a phased basis with no intake of first years from September 2007, culminating in a full closure in 2012 and thus allowing the junior students to have a transition year, if feasible, and complete their leaving certificate examinations. The trustees have confirmed directly to the Department that the current site at Seamount College will not be available for the provision of post-primary education once the college closes.

Following the announcement of a phased closure by the trustees, a local action group met the Department and outlined its concerns. Officials of the school planning section of the Department met separately with representatives of Gort community school who outlined their concerns in respect of the trustees' announcement.

With regard to a decision by a patron body to close a school, the main role of the Department in a school closure is to ensure the best interests of the pupils are looked after in the period up to the closure and that there will be sufficient pupil places in existing schools in the general area for pupils who would have normally enrolled in the closing school. Having considered the immediate implications of the decision by the Sisters of Mercy, the Department will facilitate the enrolment in Gort community school of students from the Kinvara area by amending the existing catchment area. To facilitate an increase in enrolments at Gort community school, any additional accommodation for the school will be treated as a matter of priority by the Department.

The Department recently met the authorities of Gort community school with a view to agreeing the extent of the additional accommodation required. In addition, the Department will be reviewing the overall accommodation requirements at post-primary level in the south Galway area to identify what additional provision is required in the longer term.

Fire Stations.

Mr. O’Shea

On Friday last I visited Tallow fire station in County Waterford. Having raised this issue on previous occasions, and with staff and local residents waiting over a decade for a new fire station to be provided, I wanted to see for myself the dire conditions that staff at the fire station staff are obliged to endure. What I saw amounted to a scandal.

The problems begin even before one enters the building. The fire station is located at a T junction where there is virtually no car parking. Other spaces in the vicinity are in high demand so when firemen arrive at short notice to attend to an emergency, optimum car parking can be an issue. When one arrives inside the premises, matters become even worse. Part of the station is in a Portakabin. There is no drying room for the firemen's gear. The heating system is inadequate and does not heat the station properly. All doors in the station have to be opened when the fire appliance, now over 16 years old, is started. The toilets and showers are totally inadequate. With only one toilet-cum-shower unit, firemen must queue up to use the shower after tending to fires or other emergencies. This is not acceptable.

Waterford County Council is an equal opportunities employer. However, there is no female member of staff at the fire station at present.

A site for the new Tallow fire station has been lying idle for 14 years, which is a scandal. A few weeks ago I specifically asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his proposals in respect of providing funding for the construction of a new fire station in Tallow. The reply I received from the Minister of State, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, was completely inadequate and merely stated that approval in principle was granted in 2001 for a new fire station in Tallow. The Minister of State also stated that while it has not been possible to provide funding for this station as part of the 2007 fire services capital programme, funding has been provided for various other priority projects in County Waterford since 2001. These include replacement stations and extensions or upgrading works at stations in Ardmore, Cappoquin, Dungarvan, Dunmore East and Tramore. That is good news for those five fire stations but it is of little benefit for those who are obliged to work in or depend for a service on the Tallow fire station.

The Minister of State concluded by stating that "The provision of funding for a replacement fire station in Tallow will be considered under future fire services capital programmes having regard to overall resources and priorities under the programme". This is not good enough. As matters stand, and from what I saw at first hand last week, Tallow fire station must rank among the worst fire stations throughout the country. A number of new housing developments were constructed in the Tallow area in recent years and the area covered by the fire brigade includes an oil depot, a factory and seven schools. Tallow urgently needs a fully equipped modern fire station. The current situation cannot be allowed continue.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. B. O’Keeffe)

I thank Deputy O'Shea for raising this matter. I am glad to place on record the Government's commitment to the fire services in terms of modernisation and financial investment. I also wish to express our appreciation for the significant contribution which the fire services continue to make each day in safeguarding our communities. As the Deputy will be aware, this commitment can be a dangerous one, as evidenced by a recent traffic accident resulting in the death while on duty of fire fighter Michael Liston and Garda Brian Kelleher. I am certain that the Deputy will join me in expressing my sincere sympathy to both families.

Funding has been provided for a range of priority projects which have been advanced in County Waterford in the past five years or so. These include replacement stations and extensions or upgrading works at stations in Ardmore, Cappoquin, Dungarvan, Dunmore East and Tramore. It would be an understatement to say that Waterford has done well.

My Department has accepted the case for a replacement station at Tallow. While approval in principle was granted for a new fire station some years ago, I expect that this project will advance through more detailed cost and design procedures as soon as possible within the wider context of Waterford's fire services development programme. Requests submitted by fire authorities for funding for the building or refurbishment of fire stations are considered on a case-by-case basis having regard to the existing facilities, the level of activity, the proximity of other fire stations, the fire authority's priorities and the competing demands of other fire authorities for available funding.

The fire service has been in receipt of considerable resources. There have been massive improvements affecting all areas of the service — more investment in infrastructure and equipment, more staff, better training, improved communications and the stepping up of the legislation.

Over the past 25 years, almost €240 million has been provided under the fire services capital programme for the provision of new and refurbished fire stations and the purchase of fire appliances and other equipment. At this stage, over two thirds of our fire stations, including almost all of the busiest stations, have been replaced, we have a modern fleet of front-line fire appliances, and we have a modern emergency response communications system.

Much improvement has been achieved already and I assure Deputy O'Shea that we are fully aware of the needs in Waterford. I hope to respond positively to the current request in respect of Tallow as soon as resources allow. I am conscious of the need for a new station in Tallow and it is a matter that will be very much borne in mind under the new programme.

The Dáil adjourned at 11.55 p.m. until10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 7 March 2007.