James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome Ryanair and Mr. O'Leary. There is a geographical argument around why lifting the cap on Dublin Airport would be damaging for Cork and Shannon airports. It is an argument with which I completely disagree. I am on the same page as Mr. O'Leary. Someone with Mr. O'Leary's success and stature in business should explain to people in areas like Cork and Shannon why lifting the passenger cap in Dublin Airport is actually going to be a good thing for the airports in Cork and Shannon and by increasing growth in Dublin, there would be more aircraft based on the island and in the country. Will Mr. O'Leary give some indication to the public in Cork, whom I represent, and those in Shannon or near other regional airports why doing this is necessary in Dublin for the whole island to benefit? There is a lazy argument based on geography that doing this is damaging when, in fact, it is probably not. Will Mr. O'Leary give an explanation around that?