Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)

I take the Deputy's point that the Lisbon treaty adds to the strength of the proposal and also the fact that there is not an Atlantic hub. He suggested that we prepare a template for the United Nations and the EU. We will take all those comments on board. However, we must ensure it fits in with existing facilities. Given that the other hubs are close to where disasters tend to happen means that they are effective in an emergency. Certainly the Atlantic is another area where there is potential. As the Deputy said in his original contribution, Shannon has the runway, the capacity and the goodwill in respect of Ireland's programme, all of which will open doors. We have put people in touch with the World Food Programme and the NGOs to ascertain the gaps and the need and, perhaps, what would be most appropriate for Shannon to store and to make available.

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