asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will request Aer Lingus, Teoranta, to arrange for the operation of regular air services from Cork.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Air Services from Cork.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state (a) the estimated cost of the proposed meteorological station at Roche's Point, County Cork; (b) the purposes it is to serve, and (c) whether it can provide the necessary facilities, from its proposed location, for the existing Cork airfield.
With your permission, a Chinn Chomhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 60 together.
The present position is that an airfield has been provided and is being operated at Farmer's Cross, Cork, by private interests. A licence has been issued authorising the use of that airfield by aircraft plying for hire and reward subject to certain conditions. The airfield is being used for private and charter flights. Aer Lingus have considered the question of operating regular services from the airfield. Apart from any question as to the extent of the traffic that would be available they do not consider the existing facilities adequate for regular services. One of the main difficulties is that meteorological forecasts are required for regular services and these could be provided only by stationing forecasting staff at the airfield. There has been great difficulty in securing such staff for Shannon and Dublin airports and officers have been obtained temporarily from other countries. Such personnel could not be made available at Farmer's Cross.
It is proposed to provide a new meteorological station at Roche's Point, County Cork, but this will be concerned only in making observations of the actual weather and will not have any staff competent to make forecasts. It could not, therefore, provide the type of weather service needed at an airfield.
Preliminary estimates of the cost of the new station at Roche's Point show that the capital cost will be of the order of £3,500 and the annual cost will be about £2,000.
Will the Minister say, if, in view of the dog in the manger attitude adopted by Aer Lingus, Teoranta, he will permit the Cork Airways Company to make alternative arrangements for regular flights?
There is no dog in the manger attitude adopted by Aer Lingus, but they will not operate a service where there are not sufficient safety precautions.