Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. They have all had their ups and downs. My first points are directed to Ms Hynes, chairperson designate of the Shannon Group. Its establishment in 2014 was very positive and I commend the work done there. I felt that the Shannon stopover which was eliminated a number of years ago was a drain on the rest of Ireland. It was the right decision by the then Government. Shannon Airport has come back fighting fit. The doubling of visitors to Bunratty and the folk park shows that the Shannon Group has been able to diversify. The problems with the Boeing 737 MAX have caused a major issue. I congratulate Ms Hynes.

I use Shannon Airport. I also use Knock airport and am very loyal to it. One thing that has helped those of us who like to use Shannon is the Tuam to Gort motorway. That has opened up Shannon even to Dublin-based passengers. Many people use websites to find the cheapest flights. They are flying from Dublin to Knock and from Dublin to Shannon. That makes a significant difference. People are focused on value for money. The move to establish the Shannon Group was significant. The figures Ms Hynes presented show that it was the right move.

Mr. Whelan mentioned the Bell Lines collapse. I remember it well. The Port of Waterford depended heavily on Bell Lines and it has reinvented itself.

Glanbia is located beside the port and exports from Waterford instead of Cork or Dublin. Why is that when Cork, for example, is a larger port?