I thank the Chair, for affording me the opportunity of raising this important matter.
I have been prompted to raise this matter because of a report in one of yesterday's newspapers in relation to a Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday last at which it was reported there was a proposal advanced that the present status of Shannon Airport, Ireland's only transatlantic airport, be changed. Can the Minister say if that proposal was presented to the Cabinet and if so why? To have such a proposal carried at Cabinet would result in serious and lasting damage to the economy of the mid-west and the west. The status of Shannon is a matter of national interest, not merely of regional or local interest. There are over 8,000 jobs directly resulting from the present status of Shannon at present. If the Minister were to suggest any change this would seriously threaten the future of those jobs. In addition there are thousands of part-time jobs throughout the west, the south and in the midlands that would be affected if such a change were to come about. The rather erroneous report which was presented in one of yesterday's newspapers undermines Shannon. While such reports continue in the media the confidence of the business sector in the mid-west region will continue to be undermined. By being part of this type of campaign the Minister is acting against his own semi-State organisation, Aer Rianta, who are attempting to develop Shannon as a hub airport. The behaviour of the Minister and those associated with him in the pro-Dublin lobby group is reprehensible in the national interest because, undoubtedly, if he were to change the present status jobs would be lost and there are no guarantees that jobs would be created elsewhere. The Minister is fully aware of the cost and the difficulty involved in creating employment. He is aware that the unemployment figures have increased dramatically so we should be doing our best to protect existing jobs.
A report in yesterday's Irish Independent outlined the Government guarantees and provisions in relation to Shannon — to increase by 15 per cent the traffic through Shannon in the coming year and ensure that more transatlantic flights would go through Shannon. How does the Minister propose guaranteeing such increases? The people in the mid-west and west know full well that the only guarantee for employment in Shannon, and in the entire region, is through the retention of the present bilateral agreement with the US. If the Minister undermines, departs from or breaks that agreement it will be a free for all and no guarantees can be given and nothing can be binding in law. That is the reality. Neither the Minister nor anyone else will succeed in any effort to mislead the people of the mid-west with assumptions and propositions. I am asking the Minister this evening to put an end, once and for all, to the nonsense that has gone on for the past year, by giving us an assurance that the status of Shannon will be maintained, that the advantages that can accrue from our existing bilateral agreement will be extended and improved, that fifth freedom rights will be developed at Shannon and that Shannon will be developed as a hub airport.
We have a facility and an infrastructure in Shannon which is underdeveloped but there is a great opportunity for further development against that in Dublin where there is an overcrowded infrastructure and further investment would be required.
