Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

An effort has been made by the Government to suggest that the airport has done really well in the past couple of years. This has been done by means of a comparison involving the use of passenger numbers from 2012, when the economic crisis was at its height and when passenger numbers were down at all airports. Every other airport in the State has experienced a considerably higher level of growth in passenger numbers than Shannon Airport. There has been major growth in the economy and in passenger and tourism numbers in the interim period but, regardless of which metric one uses to measure these things, it is obvious that Shannon Airport has fallen significantly behind. It is time for the Minister and his Department to look at the regime in Shannon. Two chief executives have come and gone during the period to which I refer. There is a need for a significant change in leadership and that is something the Minister and his Department need to address. It is not good enough to just suggest that the airport has been given its independence and is now on its own.

I questioned the capacity of an independent entity to survive against the threat of competition from Dublin Airport when all of this was first proposed. I do not want this to be a case of me saying "I told you so". What I predicted at the time has now come to pass. We cannot give up on Shannon. It is not good enough for any of us to state that I predicted this; it is about what we can do now in the situation we find ourselves. There is a need for significant intervention on the part of the State. If the Minister and the Department are prepared to look at route support, marketing funds or whatever assistance is available, then let us see that. Unfortunately, the €20 million from the airport's resources that has to be invested in safety measures could have been much better used in supporting its continued growth at, hopefully, a better level and to get it to the point of viability.

The Taoiseach is on record as stating that a facility like Shannon Airport would only be viable if throughput there reached 3 million passengers. The target for this year was 2.5 million but we will scarcely reach 1.6 million or 1.7 million. We need the support of the Minister, the Department and the Government. There is a willing and capable workforce at the airport, the members of which are prepared to do whatever is necessary to make it viable, but the support of Government is required. I ask the Minister of State to channel my concerns back to the Minister at the earliest possible opportunity.

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