Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)

The Minister indicated he recommended that Shannon Development disengage from industrial development in the region. Has he identified who will replace its industrial development activities? While he stated that Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland would do so, as he is aware, the activities of the latter focus mainly on attracting foreign investment, while the former does not have a property base in the region. Shannon Development has good projects, including the e-towns programme, knowledge networks and Shannon Broadband.

The Minister stated that Shannon Development's assets should be used to support the airport authority in developing Shannon Airport. Shannon Development's rental income from its property in the Shannon free zone is approximately €8 million per annum. I understand that it requires €30 million to upgrade its properties in the zone. How will this affect the activities of Shannon Development? Does the Minister envisage a role for the company?

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