Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I accept there has been a retrenchment worldwide but the reality is that we are suffering more than most and it is more important to us than most because we are an island. Talking to the Minister for Transport occasionally is not enough. The Minister, Deputy Cullen, will have to drive this issue with the Minister for Finance. Apart from the damage it is doing to the airlines, it is sending out the wrong message. Mr. Michael O'Leary may not need excuses to remove destinations but the Government is handing him such an excuse on a plate. I accept that the United States and United Kingdom markets are very important, but there is huge potential in the European market. European tourists are traditionally culture seekers and we should seek to attract them. Most of the routes we have lost are into Europe.

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