Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will start with the Shannon issue. Deputy Wynne said that four weeks is too long. Most task forces set up by my predecessors have taken approximately four years. This one is urgent. We have a group of 14 people who are the main stakeholders and we will always get people complaining, as Deputy MacSharry did, about being left out. That always happens but we have people representing almost every stakeholder on the task force. I appointed this task force. It has recommended that it takes four weeks and we think that is a quick turnover for a conclusive and extremely in-depth plan. It is completely up to the task force if it wants to publish an early report at two weeks. That is fine by me. It might even be two weeks. One never knows. It can report to my successor in two weeks.

That is up to them. It is independent, it is up to them to set their own agenda as they know what the terms of reference are. That will be something they can do.

The second point the Deputy made related to Shannon. She wanted some assurances about the airport. These statements are not meant to be about these subjects but I am quite happy to respond on them. Last week I was in here and everybody from the Deputy's region asked whether I would put a representative of Shannon on the task force. I have done that. I put the chief executive, Mary Considine, on the task force specifically to enable her to voice those difficulties, which I fully acknowledge are there for Shannon. That is why she is there, and she is going to do that on the Deputy behalf and on behalf of everybody else as well. There is also an ICTU representative, Patricia King, on that task force, which was announced earlier. She will undoubtedly represent the airport's workforce as well. That is quite a representation that they will have. That is a good start. Shannon will be represented, and will have its voice heard.

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