Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish the Minister of State the very best with her new portfolio. I plead with her to urgently intervene in the case of Shannon Airport. The airport is facing an unprecedented crisis and has been disproportionately hit by the Covid pandemic and the resulting grounding of planes. We are in a fight to ensure the solvency of the airport, retain jobs and protect the mid-west economy that is heavily reliant on Shannon Airport.

Passenger figures at the airport have dropped by 98% since March. The place is like a ghost town. On Monday evening Ms Mary Considine, the CEO of the Shannon Group, announced that a series of pay cuts and staff cuts were on the way. I consider this move by management to be rather premature. The aviation recovery task force is due to report to the Government in the next ten days. On 20 July we will see the green list of countries to and from which travel restrictions will be eased.

Last night I met with the Taoiseach in his office to discuss the matter urgently. I am now expressly asking the Minister of State to intervene. I ask her to engage directly with the airport's management and staff unions to offer some clarity and reassurance regarding the future of Shannon Airport, its workforce and the many industries and employees that depend on its existence.

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