Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

Is the Minister saying he will not undertake the economic impact assessment requested by my colleague, Deputy O'Sullivan, and instead will prepare a regional plan for the future in conjunction with the Departments of Arts, Sport and Tourism and Enterprise, Trade and Employment? Will that take into account the necessity to compensate for the jobs and business that may be lost following the curtailment of the stopover? The Minister announced this fundamental change to air services in New York while he was negotiating Ireland's position in the open skies policy. Does he agree the fundamental problem in this regard is he allowed too short a lead-in to the change? Thirty months is too short for a major development in any region.

See this speech in context