Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)

The protests are being led by key business people in the mid-west area. They are not whingers. They provide much-needed employment and the Shannon Heathrow slots provide a connectivity that holds together business in County Clare and other counties throughout the mid-west and western seaboard. Heathrow is the west's biggest gateway to the global economy as it provides access to 200 destinations throughout the world.

Taking the Shannon Heathrow slots away will remove one-stop access to 46 destinations. Companies affected include Element Six, formerly known as De Beers, which takes up 2,200 seats on the Shannon-Heathrow route every year, with 1,000 for customers and 1,200 for staff. This company is committed to Shannon. It has made a major contribution to the mid-west economy over the past 40 years, since it began with its manufacturing facility. It has progressed to providing high-end jobs in IT, finance and other activities.

That company did not have to locate in Shannon. It could have been positioned other than in Ireland but because of the available connectivity, it decided to stay in Shannon. The company made it through the 1970s and 1980s but in 2007 there are many jobs at risk in the company. An announcement today indicates that 178 jobs in Tyco in Shannon are at risk. We may have lost another manufacturing company. The decision by Aer Lingus coupled with the Government's reluctance to intervene has caused this devastation.

The decision will also affect tourism. I recently spoke to John Madden, the managing director of the Temple Gate Hotel. He knows a group of golfers who come to Ireland on a yearly basis, spending in the region of €150,000. When the Aer Lingus decision was made he was told by phone that the group would go to Spain or France instead because the connectivity was no longer there. That is just one example of how tourism is being affected.

Prior to the IPO, the Heathrow services to Dublin, Cork, and Shannon were specifically identified as being of key strategic importance. This position was stated and restated by the Government and on the Aer Lingus website. The Government stated it would intervene if these slots were threatened. Where is this intervention and where is the extraordinary general meeting? Why has the Government deliberately misled the people?

Possibly the most disappointing aspect of this debacle is the misinformation, spin and economy with the truth on the part of this Government. When the Aer Lingus CEO was asked if the Government knew in advance of this decision, his answer was silence. The Government clearly knew of this decision well in advance.

I appeal to those thinking of voting with the Government to support our amendment. They have a chance to save these slots which will provide connectivity to Shannon. I appeal to those Deputies to join with us to change the decision. It is in their hands.

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