Mr. Liam Scollan:

Deputy O'Donovan asked about what we would do now to engage with Shannon Airport. Before the Deputy arrived, we pointed out over the years the level of our co-operation with Shannon Airport and Shannon Development and the extent of the study Shannon Development carried out with Knock airport officials to work on jobs. As Mr. Gilmore said, we have absolutely no issue with Shannon Airport but the issue is not us co-operating with the airport; it is the Government co-operating with Knock airport. We are asking for that co-operation today.

Deputy Harrington asked how we would achieve growth in passenger numbers. We are one of the few airports that has recorded consistent growth over the past ten years. It has been not dramatic one year after another but it has been consistent, steady and strategic and we have shown the ability to attract large airlines such as Lufthansa. We showed the ability to attract US airlines in the past and we had transatlantic services. Our growth would come from an expansion within Europe, which would bring more tourists to the region, an expansion into the US and further expansion in the UK. We were asked what were our other plans.

We also presented plans, which were contained in the report Shannon Development did with us, to expand jobs in aviation-related businesses, in aircraft breakdown, maintenance and repair, in businesses such as IT and electronics and even in education itself. We had a pile of innovative proposals but unfortunately those have not been taken on board.