Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour)

My specific question relates to the past experience of Booz & Co. While I am aware from media reports that it has past experience of the sale of airport, the key recommendation is that Shannon Airport would remain in State ownership. I am relieved to hear that as I would be most disturbed if there was any proposal to remove anything of the strategic importance of Shannon Airport from State ownership.

I join with Deputy Carey in expressing concern for the future of the workers. I wonder whether Booz & Co. has sufficient expertise in the area. There is a proposal to devolve the airport to a State-owned undertaking but it is essential that such an undertaking would have sufficient resources to make Shannon work and to ensure the future of Shannon Airport as a cargo airport, an avionics airport and an industry airport but primarily as a passenger airport which is essential for the tourism sector of the entire mid-west. The Minister does not need reminding of that as he is the Minister primarily responsible for tourism. I would welcome his comments on the expertise of Booz & Co. on how it is proposed to ensure the future undertaking which might run Shannon Airport - if it is devolved from the DAA - will have the resources and cash-flow necessary to invest in the airport, as the Dublin Airport Authority has been doing in the past to ensure that it remains a 24 hour international airport of the calibre required to drive the economy of the entire mid-west region of Limerick, Clare and north Tipperary.

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