Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am going to make a short contribution and my colleague, Deputy Wynne, will then come in with a contribution. I have also some questions, and the Minister might answer them after Deputy Wynne speaks, if that is okay with the Minister.

I welcome the task force the Minister announced. It is a good move forward. As my colleague, Deputy O'Rourke, said, we must ensure that the unions are involved. We are all supposed to be in this together, and if the unions are not involved, we are on a hiding to nothing. I do not have to tell the Minister that Shannon Airport is critical for infrastructure, the economy and for jobs, not only at the airport itself, where there are hundreds of people, but also the tens of thousands of people across the mid-west region of Limerick city, Clare, Tipperary, north Kerry - all over the place - who directly or indirectly depend on jobs in Shannon Airport. It is crucial that we do something. The economy has collapsed and we all understand the situation we are in. One of the first things I did when the lockdown was announced was to arrange a meeting of Sinn Féin Teachtaí with the CEO of Shannon Airport to express the major concerns we have. I know how difficult it can be as I worked in the travel industry for 19 years. It was traumatic after 9/11 for many businesses, and we are probably in a worse situation now than we were then.

Shannon Airport is vital, and what makes it especially vital is that we have connections across the world. We have direct connections to North America. I know from talking to people in businesses that have come here as foreign direct investment that one of the key reasons they came to Limerick and the Shannon region is the existence of those direct flights to North America. There is also a connection from Shannon to Heathrow Airport, which is an important hub where it is possible to get connections to almost anywhere across the globe.

I got an email from a staff member of Aer Lingus today who is, unfortunately, being laid off on 21 June. She does not know when or if she is going to be back. She was really upset that Shannon staff are to be laid off while those in Dublin and Cork are being retained. This sends out a signal that sends shock waves across the area. Is Aer Lingus going to abandon Shannon? We need clarification on that issue, whether that can be given by the Minister or Aer Lingus itself.

I am also concerned about what Shannon Heritage has announced. King John's Castle is the lead tourist attraction in Limerick city. It is closed because of the impact of Covid-19, and we all understand that. It was announced, however, that it will open on 20 July but will close on 30 August. That is only six weeks. It is simply unacceptable, and if the Minister knew Limerick, he would know the castle is located at one end of medieval Nicholas Street and on the other side is a cathedral. I refer to those sights not being open for longer. People will go to those areas over the Christmas period, if they are open. The street was let go for some years, but it has been redeveloped by Shannon Heritage and the council in recent years.

The Minister can answer my questions after Deputy Wynne has spoken. Has the Minister met the CEO of the Shannon Group regarding Shannon Airport? If he has, has he also met the workers and their unions? What specific plan does the Minister have for Shannon Airport? Has the Government agreed to intervene in Shannon Airport and to commit to funding it? What transport links to Shannon Airport does the Minister think should be examined? For instance, has the Minister met Transport for Ireland regarding the buses that go from Cork to Galway to ensure some of those services would now divert to Shannon Airport when it opens? Has the Minister had any contact with Shannon Heritage as to the announcement of the closure of attractions?

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