Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

State Airports

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 May 2010

Thursday, 6 May 2010

Ceisteanna (74, 75, 76, 77)

Pat Breen

Ceist:

72 Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Transport when he expects the Lynxs cargo project at Shannon Airport to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18461/10]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Pat Breen

Ceist:

73 Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Transport further to Question No. 230 of 27 April 2010 the discussions he has had with the US authorities on the provision of US preclearance for air freight at Shannon Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18462/10]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Pat Breen

Ceist:

74 Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Transport the steps he is taking to assist Shannon Airport to deal with the decline in passenger traffic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18465/10]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Joe Carey

Ceist:

75 Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Transport his plans to address the 15% decline in passengers numbers through Shannon Airport in 2009; the supports that he will offer Shannon Airport to develop new passenger and cargo business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18475/10]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 to 75, inclusive, together.

As the Deputies will be aware the Ireland-U.S. Preclearance Agreement signed by myself and the then U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, on 17 November 2008, does not provide for the preclearance of cargo However, this is an issue that I raised with Secretary Chertoff at the time and later with his successor Janet Napolitano. Both were receptive to the opening of discussions on cargo preclearance from Ireland, once we had fully established passenger preclearance. As the Deputies will know passenger preclearance is already in operation at Shannon and is due to commence later this year in Dublin Airport with the opening of Terminal 2.

When passenger preclearance is fully established at both Airports I will consider the possibility of approaching the U.S. Authorities about cargo preclearance.

In 2009 the DAA concluded a memorandum of understanding with the Lynx Group, a global airport cargo facility company, to explore jointly the feasibility of developing a major cargo facility at Shannon Airport. The DAA's evaluation of the business case for the project has been received in my Department and is currently under consideration. The DAA has to operate to a commercial mandate and it does not have access to unlimited funds to undertake capital investment. Consideration of the best way to support the project will take account of the extent of potential investment by the DAA on foot of its evaluation of the business case and any support that could be provided by the State subject to compliance with EU state aid rules.

I am of course very conscious that Shannon Airport is going through challenging times in dealing with the downturn in the aviation sector that is having a negative impact on passenger throughput in the airport. As part of its commercial remit, the Shannon Airport Authority, in conjunction with the Dublin Airport Authority is responsible for addressing this issue. I have no specific responsibility for this matter but I know that both bodies are very proactive in this regard and that incentives are in place to encourage more traffic to and from the airport.

Barr
Roinn