Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome everyone from the DAA. I have been following much of the debate from my office, but I have also been in the Chamber. I apologise if I touch on questions that my have been asked or asked in a different way.

I congratulate Mr. Jacobs and wish him the best of luck in his new role. His predecessor – and this is not personal about him, this is DAA inc. – has had much success in recent years, however, I would describe the relationship towards Shannon as predatory, and I am a Deputy from County Clare. We recognise it is the national airport; it has a position of dominance. However, sometimes a position of dominance is what it is and is used at times to subvert Shannon. There has been aggressive marketing on the doorstep of our airport and, indeed, the poaching of passengers by bus. I heard Mr. Harrison’s explanation that it gets people out of cars, and it does, but there is another motive as well that drives passenger through Dublin Airport’s terminal, which is the real aim of that.

We are looking at a national aviation policy. We want Dublin Airport to grow and flourish. However, we also want to protect our other airports, particularly on the west of the island, and ensure that they also grow and are on a growth trajectory in the coming years. It is not all for Mr. Jacobs to solve; it is more for us to solve. Can he tell us something about his term of stewardship and how he will be towards his counterparts in Shannon, including Mary Considine?