This issue is important in terms of transport in the west. The Minister for Public Enterprise is not here this evening but I am glad the Minister of State is here because the airport about which I speak is in his constituency.
On 12 January the Minister of State, I and others were invited to Knock Airport for the inauguration of a new service between Knock Airport and Dublin Airport. We were all delighted about this new service which was to begin on 18 January. However, due to industrial relations problems in the company, Aer Arann, the service was not put in place until 15 February. The service was established because it was given a public service subvention by the State. In other words, the Department of Public Enterprise underwrites losses incurred by the company operating this service. This means the company cannot lose.
The contract for the service was that there would be a flight from Knock Airport to Dublin at 7 a.m. and a return flight at 7 p.m. each day, which would take approximately one hour. It is an excellent idea because Knock Airport is probably the best regional airport in the country. It has two services each day across the Channel, one to London and one to the British midlands. The one disadvantage was that it did not have a service to the capital but that was put right.
I acknowledge the role played by the Minister for Public Enterprise, Deputy O'Rourke. We lobbied her strongly to seek EU permission for the public service subvention to establish this flight because an operator would not take the risk of establishing the service on a daily basis and then making losses for two or three years before making a profit.
What has been delivered has fallen far short of the contract the company signed with the Department of Public Enterprise. It honoured its part of the bargain to provide the subvention. I am not sure of the figures because they have been difficult to obtain but more than 30% of the scheduled flights have been cancelled without notice. I turned up at Knock Airport on three occasions at 6.30 a.m. to get the 7 a.m. flight to Dublin but I was told at the last minute that the flight was cancelled. There was no good reason that the aircraft was not able to take off or land. Knock Airport has category one instrument landing equipment which means all modern airlines can land and take off in adverse weather conditions.
The company is reluctant to give answers to the questions put to it about the service or the cancellations. However, we are entitled to answers because public money is involved. If the company which has this contract is not willing or is unable to honour the terms of the contract, it must be given to someone else. What negotiations, if any, has the Minister or her officials had with the company operating the flight? Has any reason been given by the company for the cancellations? What plans does the company have, if it intends to continue with the contract, for improving the service? I understand the contract allows it to have a cancellation rate of 2% in any operating year. I may be overstating or understating the facts, but at least 25% of the scheduled flights have been cancelled.
This issue is damaging to Knock Airport which has been a wonderful development in the west. It is one of the most essential elements of the transport infrastructure in the region. Every summer it brings in thousands of tourists from locations in Germany, Switzerland and other places. There was a weekly service to Amsterdam last summer and this will be expanded this summer with the provision of chartered flights on a weekly basis which will start in May and end in October. The one essential element which is needed is a daily link with the capital. One of the problems experienced by Waterford Airport was that it lost its link with the capital, which can be a fatal blow to a small regional airport.
I compliment the Minister for Public Enterprise, although I am a member of the Opposition and I could say otherwise. I had much correspondence with her, as I am sure had the Minister of State who is a Deputy for the constituency of Mayo. We all support the airport at Knock. We were lobbied to seek the public service subvention for the service which was granted. The EU had to be convinced that the Government could pay it and I have no doubt that involved difficult negotiations. The public service subvention was put in place, advertisements were placed for the contract and when this company tendered for it, it was granted it. We hoped and expected the contract would be fully delivered but, unfortunately, it was not.
Does the company have enough airplanes to carry out the service? Do the airplanes have proper navigation equipment on board which will allow them to land in difficult weather conditions? We are often told at the last minute that the weather conditions are not right or there are technical difficulties. Other airlines operate out of Knock Airport on the same days when similar weather conditions prevail and they do not seem to have any trouble taking off or landing.
I look forward to the Minister of State's response to this urgent issue. I do not have any doubt he will agree that the current service is disappointing for the dozens of people who turn up every morning. It appears to run at 75% occupancy every day. I was at Dublin Airport on a Friday evening two weeks ago because I wanted to travel to Knock. However, the service was cancelled at the last minute and there were at least 30 people waiting for it. They were not well treated by the people representing the airline. Information was not dispensed and when a bus was eventually provided to take us home, the journey took four hours. That is not a good service. There is a great sense of community and regional support for the airport which is run on a shoestring. There is much voluntary effort to ensure it stays open. However, it is being damaged by this type of poor service. There is a clear demand for this service to operate every day, yet the operator is not keeping the terms of the contract.
I thank the Minister of State for taking this motion this evening and I look forward to his reply.