Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 December 2004
109 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if it is his intention to open talks with Canada for the purpose of making a new bilateral air travel agreement to replace the current highly unsatisfactory agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32042/04]
View answerThe existing Ireland-Canada air transport agreement is quite restrictive regarding the destinations both in Ireland and in Canada that can be served. The Canadian authorities have not been willing to revise the agreement to bring it more into line with Ireland's other agreements, unless the Shannon stop element in the agreement was removed. However, my Department has agreed extra-bilateral arrangements with the Canadian authorities on a case-by-case basis to allow airlines to operate between destinations in Canada which are not included in the existing bilateral and Ireland, on the basis that they serve Shannon at least as often as they serve Dublin.
My Department will continue to apply a pragmatic approach in the interest of facilitating air services between the two countries and will seek to parallel in the Ireland-Canada market any regulatory developments that arise in the Ireland-US market.
