Mr. Brian Cotter:

A group of stakeholders is being formed, including the Shannon Airport and Dublin Airport authorities and a number of business groups, to assess the potential impact. We have seen the benefits of pre-clearance facilities for individuals in the ease of movement in the case of executive travel, for example, and tourism. The feeling is there might be an opportunity for Ireland, as global trade continues to expand and air freight becomes more important and given the constraints on many international airports and hubs. Shannon Airport has a particular interest in seeing if there is a business case to be made for it. It would be a considerable boon. As there are not many locations in the world that have pre-clearance facilities, it would be an attractive hub, for example, in setting up significant store rooms and stock to supply businesses and being able to move it easily back and forth across the Atlantic. Ireland is in a good position in the context of this trade partnership between Europe and the United States. It has potential capacity from an airport perspective. We have a reputation for having successfully implemented pre-clearance arrangements for individuals; therefore, there is a keen interest in some parts of the US Administration and certainly on the Irish side to explore this to see whether we can carve out a new business opportunity for the country.