Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh Mr. Scollan agus Mr. Gilmore and I thank them for their excellent presentation. As I am aware others wish to ask questions, I will focus on one or two issues. I ask for clarification on the request for fair treatment. I have been attempting to establish what the airport is seeking. It uses terms such as process in parallel, fair treatment and meaningful recognition as a strategic airport. What should the Government do in the current circumstances? We should bear in mind that the business report on the separation of Shannon Airport states that it is seeking to recover lost passenger numbers from Knock, which is a frightening prospect in that the business plan on which the Government has based its decision is not only about growing Shannon, but also about taking from the good work that has been done by Ireland West Airport over the past 20 years. The witnesses skirted around this issue by speaking about co-operation between Shannon and Knock but it seems to me that the gloves have come off. Shannon is being established as a separate entity with a clean sheet and it will start to aggressively market the airport. What are the implications of this development? They were referred to in the context of declining numbers but any objective observer would acknowledge that Knock has survived very successfully not only against competition, but also in the face of prevailing economic winds. From a neutral position, why should it be any different if Ireland West's model is seen to be successful irrespective of the competition?