Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I hope the Minister of State's response will not be littered with references, which we constantly hear on this side, to the effect that this is a matter for the Dublin Airport Authority. It is not a matter for the Dublin Airport Authority but for the Minister for Transport, who is responsible for ensuring, as part of his remit that there is balanced regional development. This means ensuring that Cork Airport is put on a sound footing so that it can move forward as it wants to, on an independent basis — leaving aside the debt issue which has not been resolved. In 2004, the State Airports Act stated that the three airports, Shannon, Cork and Dublin, would be developed as three independent authorities. That still has not happened and there is the farcical situation where the CAA has been left without a chairman since the former incumbent resigned from the board in April this year. Any decision that has to be taken at Cork Airport, as Deputy Coveney has outlined, is referred to the DAA. The e-mails and notepaper of the CAA's chief executive is headed "Dublin Airport Authority". That situation is absolutely ridiculous since the two airports are in competition. Let Cork get on with it and make decisions for itself based on what is best for the airport and the region. The Minister should appoint a chairman and let a business plan be adopted so that Cork may move forward and do the job it is supposed to do.

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