Mr. Patrick Edmond:

I thank the Deputies for their questions. I will endeavour to answer all of the substantive ones.

In terms of the risks involved for Shannon region, on Heathrow Airport services there were 234,000 passengers last year. Of these, about 75,000 were business passengers; therefore, we can reflect on the significance of that number for the region in terms of the volume of business traffic. Some 60% of all passengers are inbound. They are business people coming into the region to promote economic activity or tourists coming to travel along the Wild Atlantic Way or make use of other tourist facilities in the region. The risk of losing that economic activity and the ability to develop is extreme.