Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the proposal. I want to acknowledge the work the Taoiseach and the other Deputies in Mayo have done in this regard. The proposal came before us in the House two years ago and we opposed it at the time because the focus was very much on Shannon Airport to the exclusion of Ireland West Airport Knock. I am glad the Taoiseach has clarified this and glad the Government has listened to the concerns of Members of this House on all sides who have put forward the case for Ireland West Airport. There is a significant landbank available at Ireland West Airport, so there is potential to attract an investor and to create jobs at that location. It was always the objective, with the establishment of Ireland West Airport Knock, that it would not just be an airport but would act as a stimulus to create jobs, not just in County Mayo but in the adjoining counties of Sligo, Leitrim Roscommon and Galway. I commend the Government for its proposal.

Hopefully, this can build on the initiative we saw during the summer when a charter aeroplane from the United States came to Knock with a pilgrimage, the first such flight to come from the United States. I want to flag with the Taoiseach that we should not be just looking west but also east. There are 12 million Catholics in China, for example, but we still do not have direct flights from China into Ireland. We are potentially losing out on €800 million per annum, which is what the New Zealand Government is bringing in, based on a strategic, targeted programme of bringing Chinese tourists into New Zealand. Ireland gets approximately 110 Chinese tourists per day whereas New Zealand gets approximately 820, despite the fact Ireland is nearer than New Zealand to mainland China. There is the potential to grow this figure. It is about establishing the relationship, opening up visas to allow access and getting direct flights from mainland China into Ireland. I would like to see Ireland West Airport play a role in that. It would be great if we could bring such tourists directly into our region and use this as a focus to develop the tourism sector across the western seaboard and the midlands.

I thank the Taoiseach for his clarification that Ireland West Airport will be able to avail of this support.

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