Beverley Flynn (Mayo, Independent)

I am annoyed that the motions before the House only refer to the mid-west, south-west and north-west regional airports and ignore the west's regional airport in Knock. I would have expected the Opposition to have picked up on that omission.

There is little doubt that the loss of the Shannon-Heathrow link is a major setback to business and tourism in the mid-west. A region that depended so much on its air access to the wider world will be deprived of the main plank of its success to date unless corrective action is taken. This is something that we cannot and will not allow to happen. Such a situation would further emphasise the regional imbalance between the east and the west about which I have spoken many times in this House. However, this debate provides us with an opportunity to broaden the issue and to look at the threat to air access in a wider context.

Companies in the Shannon basin need connectivity for their survival. Nobody disputes that for a moment. However, there are scores of manufacturing companies from Donegal to Sligo, Mayo to Galway which are equally in need of connectivity if they are to survive, perhaps even more so because of the totally inadequate road system which is playing havoc with transport costs. Companies such as Abbott and Hollister in my constituency, Allergen which last year celebrated 30 years in Westport, Baxter, Coca-Cola and many more are struggling with transport costs which could be greatly alleviated with proper air access. Balanced regional development must mean balanced regional air access. The western half of the country needs direct connection to the UK and Europe, key European hubs and transatlantic services. Best of all, we have the airports to sustain a truly integrated cohesive air policy for the west. In Knock, Shannon and Cork there are three airports with the capacity and resources to really drive regional development. More than 1 million people live within a 90 minute drive of each of these airports. Surely this means that the essential framework is already in place for an air access policy which can transform the west of Ireland. The rules for national policy must be on an all-Ireland basis if we are to overcome this particular setback and attain a sustainable foundation.

There are 31 flights to Heathrow from the east coast of Ireland, including Northern Ireland and Dublin, and 58 to other London airports. From the entire west coast, south-west, mid-west, west and north-west there is a combined total of five flights to Heathrow — that is after Aer Lingus withdraws from Shannon — and 16 to other London airports. It is important to point out that any attempt by Government to interfere in the market for any one region will distort the market for another. Knock is at present in commercial discussions with airlines regarding London links, including Heathrow. Any public or political intervention must aim at creating a level playing field for all of the west. This is not just a mid-west problem and its resolution does not have ramifications for that region alone.

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