I thank the Cathaoirleach for affording me the opportunity to raise this issue on the Adjournment. I am disappointed the Minister for Public Enterprise, Deputy O'Rourke, has not come into the House to take debates relating to her Department for two consecutive days. However, I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Tom Kitt.
The Minister of State will be aware that following the disaster in New York on 11 September the Government set up an interdepartmental committee consisting of seven Departments – the Office of the Attorney General and the Departments of the Taoiseach, Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Finance, the Marine and Natural Resources and Public Enterprise. The ad hoc committee was chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach. When it was established, I understand it was specifically requested to respond to the challenges posed to the economy in general and to tourism in particular as a result of what happened on 11 September. It has met on a number of occasions and has presented an interim report to the relevant Departments and to the other bodies which have something to contribute directly or indirectly to that area.
Specific recommendations were made in that report regarding the development of Pier D by spring 2003 – on the basis of existing planning permission – through low-cost carriers. That is to be done at Dublin Airport. The proposed strategy is to enter into appropriate arrangements for the management of Pier D and to ensure that it facilitates a significant growth throughout Dublin Airport through low-cost operators. The management was also requested by that same departmental group to manage existing facilities in the interim to encourage growth and traffic by low-cost carriers through appropriate capacity allocation at Dublin Airport.
The report is fairly short, but the only reference to Shannon is contained in the words "to develop appropriate strategies to increase traffic through Shannon". The airport most dramatically affected and impacted by 11 September is Shan non and I find it extraordinary that it warrants little more than six words at the end of a report. The major focus is on further expansion and extension of Dublin Airport. That is what this Government and the seven Departments aimed at in the production of this ad hoc report.
Can the Government justify recommending further investment in a semi-State operation at an airport that is already excessively congested while the infrastructure which serves it is under extreme pressure? The facility in Shannon, put there with taxpayers' money, is under-utilised. It has the capacity to handle 5 million passengers annually, but is currently handling about 2 million. No proactive action is taken to utilise that facility fully.
The Government's priorities are askew. If the Government were seriously to examine international aviation policy, it would find that low-cost carriers operate out of secondary airports all over Europe and the United States of America. However, this Government turns normal aviation practice on its head, which does not make economic sense. Ryanair is a successful low-cost carrier operating here and across Europe. Ryanair, Go or any other low-cost airline would provide services out of Shannon Airport and they should be given every encouragement by the Government and Aer Rianta to do so.
I ask the Government to examine seriously the nature of the report presented by civil servants from seven Departments, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach. Those who made these recommendations sat in their offices in Dublin 2 and never came to Shannon to examine the facilities there. They simply presented a report. The recommendations of that report and its direction did not happen by chance. Political direction was given from on high. It was strange that the Department of the Taoiseach chaired the group that produced the report. At the same time that an official from the Taoiseach's Department chaired the group presenting this report to the Department of Public Enterprise, which then presented it to Aer Rianta, another official from his Department met a group from the Shannon-Atlantic alliance group. That group is made up of interested parties from Kerry to Sligo and it was specifically told by the official that as far as the Taoiseach is concerned Shannon and Cork take priority over Pier D. It is about time the Taoiseach got his lines straight. He cannot have it both ways.
