Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 23 January 2013

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications

Shannon Airport: Discussion with Shannon Airport Authority

10:10 am

Photo of Patrick O'DonovanPatrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish Ms Rose Hynes well in her role which is hugely important not only for the mid-west region but the whole western region. Following on from two earlier comments, there is a need to look at Shannon Airport not in the context of a transatlantic route from the mid-west but as the only transatlantic route from Malin Head to Mizen Head. That has been lost in recent years to the detriment of the airport. A former Member made a prophesy that the rabbits would be running around in the airport at Shannon. Had the Government not done what it did, there would be a wildlife sanctuary on the runway. I wish Ms Hynes well in that context.

On the issue of military traffic, the irony was not lost on me or on other Members, given that some political parties have had a field day protesting outside Shannon and then expressing concern at the jobs that might be lost as a result. Is it only the US that uses Shannon for that purpose or are other countries interested because obviously the issue of jobs is hugely important?

Shannon Free Airport Development Company Limited has a huge landbank across the region, which includes a considerable amount of County Limerick. For many years, west Limerick has fallen off the radar in terms of inward investment and job creation due to the mixed relationship involving IDA, local authorities and Shannon Development in regard to the landbank. Given that the landbank will be transferred to the ownership of the company, how does the witness envisage the board providing itself with the necessary expertise to ensure it is properly utilised? What level of expertise should be brought on to the board to ensure that happens? We in County Limerick, north Tipperary, Offaly and parts of Clare do not want to find that the emphasis is on the Shannon free zone and the rest of the region and its landbank is left there for buachallán.

In terms of private sector involvement, I am aware the company advertised for a CEO last week. Is the chairperson designate anxious to have such involvement in the board membership and in the chief management positions? To break the mindset at Shannon, given the fall in passenger numbers from 3.5 million to the present level, how important are the backgrounds of those who will be in management positions to drive the airport forward? What level of expertise and experience is it envisaged those people would bring to the table? I wish the witness well. This is not about one airport over another. I am based at an equal distance from Cork and Shannon but Shannon Airport is hugely important to maintain a transatlantic emphasis from Cork to Donegal.

Furthermore, I urge the authority to look to emerging markets in the Middle East and beyond.

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