Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister said that to the committee. That is welcome. We have a chance to open up an industry here. Shannon is so much further developed than the other regional airports that they need to be given the status to get there too. None of us wants to go back to the days of section 23 but surely it is within the knowledge of the Department of Finance to come up with a scheme that will assist in aviation development and maintenance and create employment at any airport that has the skills to do so. There are very few airports that have the runways and space for this kind of operation. Knock happens to be one. As it has a 25 hectare site and the requisite runway size, it does not involve massive development. A few weeks ago the Taoiseach, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Minister of State for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ring, Deputies Mulherin and O'Mahony came down in a blaze of glory to the airport. Deputy O'Mahony has been tasked with preparing a report. For Deputy Naughten's information I want to clarify that a report was prepared at the behest of the last Government. It targets aircraft maintenance and was presented to the last Government at the end of its term. It could be acted on straightaway. The Minister might clarify his contention that Shannon will not get an advantage.

Would he consider giving a commitment that he will not commence this section until such time as the report on the future of Ireland West Airport, Knock, being prepared on the Taoiseach's wishes, is delivered some time in May? Then we can see what options that report outlines for developing employment and other industry around Knock Airport and if the section has to be further amended at that stage then surely we can do so. To commence this scheme and allow further advantage to another airport would be wrong in that vacuum.

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