Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Walsh said he is all about growth but I did not hear him speak about growth at Shannon Airport. He did not expand on it here today or earlier in his radio interview with Sean O’Rourke. Will he expand on growth opportunities at Shannon Airport, particularly exploiting the pre-clearance facility there?

The fundamental question for people in the mid-west is connectivity. Mr. Walsh gave a commitment here today to a five-year deal for both Cork and Shannon. This is not a run-of-the-mill deal as he is negotiating with the Government. Connectivity is key to the regions but the mid-west has had the experience of once bitten, twice shy in that regard. Will he go further than the five-year commitment to ten or 15 years? The mid-west needs that type of commitment because it will be cut off from the world if it is cut off from the hub at Heathrow Airport.