Jim Glennon (Dublin North, Fianna Fail)

I will conclude. I am amused at Sinn Féin's new-found interest in Dublin Airport. The word "airport" is mentioned only once in the party's manifesto for the general election in 2002. There is no mention of Aer Lingus, Aer Rianta or SR Technics which employs 1,250 people at the airport. The only reference to the airport is:

This State is suffering from decades of public transport infrastructure under-funding. Dublin remains one of the very few capital cities not to have a rail link to its airport.

The party appears to have been more concerned about rail than aviation until its new-found interest.

The same applies to the Green Party, although Dublin North is the constituency of that party's leader. Dublin Airport is the largest industrial institution in that constituency. There is not one mention in the Green Party manifesto of the airport or of aviation. That says a great deal.

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