Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Shannon Airport has never done better. Representatives of Knock Airport have welcomed this news. I am hopeful. We will certainly be supporting Knock Airport. I hope that as a result of this new deal to be completed in the coming months Knock Airport will gain. We want more carriers, services and flights into Knock. In particular, we want more flights into rural Ireland. I want to see Knock, Shannon and Cork get their fair share of the cake. I want to see this new company bringing extra flights into Cork, Shannon and Knock airports so that we will have plenty of visitors coming into the regions as well. We do not want everything coming into Dublin. As a Minister of State acting in the national interest, I like Dublin and I like to see people coming into Dublin, but we want to bring them into the regions as well. That is why we have the Wild Atlantic Way and the Ireland's Ancient East and the Lakelands. I was there yesterday. Everyone is out working and trying to get people into their area and their country. That is what we want to see happening.

The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, has worked hard at this deal and it is a good deal for the country. Secretly, Fianna Fáil and some of the Independents are disappointed that we got such a good deal. They were hoping there would be no deal but there is one. This will secure the future of Aer Lingus. The company will have its own brand. We will still have the carriers carrying the slogan of Aer Lingus. There is no doubt that we will have more capacity and more flights with this company.

Willie Walsh has a connection with the country, he is an Irishman. I am sure he will wear the green jersey. I am sure that, at times, if there is a little business that can be put the Irish way he will do that. He will not say that because he is the boss of a major company but I am sure he will do what is right for Ireland. He will come back to retire here and live here. He will want to see people employed. He will want to see a stronger and better Aer Lingus and that is what we are going to have. It will be stronger and better with more workers and more connecting flights into the country. Is that not what we have been seeking for the past 20 years?

I know this will work. We have a good deal. My ministerial colleague has worked hard with the officials in the Department. They have done a good deal for Ireland. That is what is upsetting those in Fianna Fáil and the Independents, because the deal is good for the country. There will be more employment. I have no doubt that in the years ahead they will be complimenting the man beside me and saying, when he is Taoiseach of this country, that he was a great Minister.

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