Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his answer. There are serious concerns about statements made in recent weeks, including a statement in the national media on 31 March. Only one meaning could be taken from the Minister, Deputy Varadkar's statement, namely, that the pesky airport at Knock would want to stop taking passengers from Shannon. The Minister stated:

If nothing was done for Shannon the airport stood in danger of being passed out by Knock airport in passenger numbers, despite a current gap of over 900,000 passengers. I think if the trends continue as they are it will happen because Shannon’s numbers are already down 20 per cent this year and Knock is still growing.

The last sentence of his statement was interesting. He stated: "It is only a matter of time without a change in policy."

I would cheer on developments at Shannon Airport, but if that must be done at the expense of Knock airport, which is washing its face financially, it would not be good. A couple of weeks ago, Mr. Liam Scollan of Knock airport told a meeting of our transport committee that he had serious concerns about the quality and level of engagement with the Government. He stated:

We have met Minister Varadkar and his officials on numerous occasions, but our representations have not been afforded fair consideration [which is a fair claim]. In fact, the Minister is clearly on the record in both national and local media [as I have quoted] that Knock Airport was the problem for Shannon and that he intended to develop policies to rectify that.

This does not make sense. Knock airport should not be punished for being a success. It is one of the few aspects of the area where I live that has done really well. We have watched as Garda stations, post offices, etc. have closed down, but the airport is a beacon of hope. I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, agrees. The airport offers us phenomenal opportunities in terms of developing tourism in areas that not only are not saturated by tourism, but where tourism does not even exist. Instead of punishing Knock, why not develop a plan that helps all of the airports in question? The ones that work the best should be encouraged to thrive. Do not treat them as if they are some sort of nuisance to Shannon Airport. Doing so will not work for any airport.

See this speech in context