Ms Rose Hynes:

I am not going to get into comparing Knock and Shannon airports. We will do everything we can to cut our cost base and to work on that. We know we have to do that and we have to try to get it into line with, or as close as we can to, our peers. That is a big task and a big challenge but we will do it. That is already under way. We are certainly going to do what we can to increase passenger numbers but, as I said, it will be inbound and outbound.

Shannon Airport is an international and a transatlantic airport. Its transatlantic catchment area is from one side of the country to the other. It is the only transatlantic airport on the west coast. I see areas where we can work together in terms of inbound traffic and in terms of the western seaboard and what we can do. There are areas where we can work with the tourism authorities for the benefit of all.

Deputy Fleming referred to South American and Canadian traffic. We will certainly work with the tourism agencies to see what we can do. This year with The Gathering, it is really important for us to attract as many travellers as we can from throughout the world, but in particular from the US. We are certainly working on that and are very focused on it.

In terms of the cargo hub, that is something the task force recommended and at which we are actively looking. We see it as very important. Over the weekend, I read about the volumes of cargo going through Foynes in Deputy O'Donovan's area-----