Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The sentiments expressed by the Deputies from the mid west who spoke in this debate can be epitomised by the word "hope". The Government's plans for Shannon Airport are giving great hope to the mid west that the problems which have seen the airport haemorrhaging €8 million per annum in running costs alone, in addition to its burden of capital debt, will be addressed so that it can continue to play a significant role in the region. I welcome that hope for the sake of the people of the region but, just as Deputy Buttimer spoke on behalf of Cork, I speak on behalf of the people of the west and north west. It is not right that hope given to one area should be at the expense of developing another part of the country. From what can be gleaned from the plans for Shannon, it appears they will dash the hopes of the area from which I come.

Ireland West Airport Knock is an international airport and its runway has international capabilities. It has flourished from a seedling not by virtue of great corporate investments but because the people of the area got behind it. The area was ravaged by emigration and previously never had international connectivity. Monsignor James Horan captured the imagination of the people when he asked why they should not be connected. The facts speak for themselves, with 700,000 passengers passing through the airport on 25 international routes and five major airlines. They would not use the airport if they did not get a good deal. Knock Airport's efficiency was acknowledged by the Minister in his plans to deal with the State airports. Even though Knock does not enjoy the benefits accruing to State airports, it is none the less a true airport for the people. It is run by a trusteeship and all but one of the trust's members serve on a voluntary basis. The airport is integral to the future development of the west and north west region. We have great plans for tourism but we are peripheral and we need to be accessible. Multinational companies are attracted by the connections offered through Knock.

The plans for Shannon, in failing to consider the island holistically, diminish Knock's prospects. It has been suggested that an independent Shannon Airport will be great. I applaud the ambitions that have been set out for Shannon but I remind the House that it did not develop in the same way as Knock. It will be given a package to allow it to be self-financing and sustainable into the future. The Minister's comments suggest that passengers will be drawn away from airports like Knock which have operated on a shoestring budget. That is not the way we should approach our business. It has also been suggested that Knock and other airports should work with Shannon. This is a ridiculous suggestion, however. Who sets out the policies for the airports in this country in terms of how they operate vis-à-vis each other and the parameters for their future development? We need a national strategy because we cannot focus on one region in isolation. This Government and Parliament serve all the people.

Deputy O'Donnell spoke about balanced regional development. This decision attacks competitiveness and the free market. Knock Airport almost exclusively operates in the free market other than the capital grants and running cost grants it receives from the State, which are minuscule in comparison to the amounts paid to the State airports. We need a reality check on Knock. Unless an overall strategy is developed, decisions will be made in isolation to the detriment of other regions. While other airports, such as Cork and Dublin, remain in State ownership, they can hope for rescue packages should they need them. It is not acceptable that Knock should be left on its own simply by virtue of the way it came into being.

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