Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

When it comes to aviation the Minister is always one peg short of a tent. A political decision must be made. Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports cannot produce realistic business plans. The Minister says he will not put pressure on them to produce business plans and will give them an indefinite timescale. It will be an indefinite timescale because they cannot make a business plan until they know how the debt is to be apportioned. The airports need to know. Cork Airport has already lost flights. Dublin Airport needs to know what it has to invest in its enormous and delayed expansion plans. The Minister is the only person who can make a decision. We read in today's newspaper that Dublin Airport has decided to postpone a decision. To put it back in the Minister's lap it is getting another report, which it will send to the Minister because the airports cannot make that decision. It is a political decision and it must be made politically. It is down to the Minister to make it. He must do more than make announcements and re-announcements.

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