Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 May 2004
334 Mr. Noonan asked the Minister for Transport his negotiating position with the US authorities regarding changes in the bilateral air agreement with the USA, including the Shannon stopover; the timeframe envisaged for the implementation of any changes agreed; if changes will be introduced incrementally or on a once-off basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15498/04]
View answerOfficials from my Department met US officials in Washington DC on 4 and 5 May 2004 to explore the Ireland-US bilateral aviation arrangements in the context of progress on an EU-US open-skies agreement. My officials emphasised the importance of Shannon Airport for the economy of the west of Ireland, in particular in the context of Ireland's national spatial strategy which aims to counterbalance the growth of Dublin by focusing economic activity at a number of other locations.
My officials also outlined the Irish Government's decision to separate Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports into autonomous airport authorities to enable them to maximise their own potentials. In that context, they indicated that Shannon needs a period of years in which to transform its business plans and marketing strategies. The eventual effect of an EU-US open-skies deal, should such a deal emerge, would be to leave the choice of airports with the airlines. In the absence of special bilateral arrangements between Ireland and the United States in such a case, there is a risk that the open-skies arrangement could mean a sudden end to the current Shannon stop requirement, which could have immediate negative impacts for Shannon.
I will meet the US Secretary for Transportation, Norman Mineta, at a meeting of European Transport Ministers later this week and I will re-emphasise to him that an acceptable arrangement for Shannon must be reached before I will be in a position to agree to any EU-US aviation agreement that might be put to the Transport Council on 10 and 11 June 2004.
