Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister said earlier that the State Airports Act 2004 always envisaged that Aer Rianta International would transfer to the Dublin Airport Authority. Does he accept that the same legislation envisaged that separation would not take place until viable business plans were in place for both Cork Airport and Shannon Airport? He is now proposing to separate Shannon Airport. Can he explain how he considers the business plan that has been produced to be viable? I understand the business plan is based on an anticipated level of growth that is considerably in excess of the underlying growth in the total Irish market. It involves holding on to all existing routes and winning back traffic lost to Knock Airport and Kerry Airport. Is the Government proposing to give the new entity the capacity to target those airports? Is that the viable business plan that is being accepted by the Government? Is it realistic to expect that existing carriers on transatlantic routes will add additional routes on a phased basis from 2013? Is the Government about to agree a plan that targets Knock Airport and Kerry Airport?

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