Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Those who need access to flights have to drive by Shannon Airport and embark on a more than three-hour journey to Dublin Airport or Cork Airport. This surely is a contradiction in terms of the need for renewed focus on balanced regional development and, more specifically, the importance of reducing carbon emissions. Having this inconvenient journey added to the travel plans of people from the mid-west is absurd and flies in the face of climate action. It also cannot be in the interest of health and safety that, as we navigate through the Covid-19 health pandemic, nine out of ten people leave the State through Dublin Airport.

Having some flights leave from Shannon makes sense. It allows for social distancing guidelines to be adhered to, which must continue to be our priority at this time, all while complementing measures to reduce carbon emissions and not increase them. It is crucial that we get flights back in Shannon. The Minister stated that the task force will aim to report back in four weeks. That is far too long and it does little for the staff at the airport who are due to be laid off on Sunday week, or for the future of flights in Shannon. Saving Shannon Airport will require rapid action.

The staff at the airport, whom I had the pleasure of meeting with my Sinn Féin colleagues and other representatives, and the people of the mid-west want a guarantee from the Minister that, in his role as caretaker, he will take care of their future. I have spoken on this issue twice and cannot stress enough the importance of Shannon Airport and its connectivity for County Clare and the entire mid-west.

Will the Minister revise the timeline and bring it forward immediately? Will he ensure that priority is given to the crisis in Shannon Airport? Will he commit to intervening for the workers of Shannon Airport? He might answer after my colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, has spoken.

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