Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I wish to follow up quickly on a few things. A large number of people in my constituency of Limerick City and in north Tipperary work at Shannon Airport. The Minister did not make reference to Shannon Heritage in her response. More than 300 people are employed there during the peak season and 145 are employed year-round. If a proposal comes from the Shannon Group, will the Minister consider providing funding to ensure the Shannon Heritage sites are kept open all year round?

Second, the programme for Government refers to providing funding for route support and looking for flexibility in state aid rules in discussions with other EU member states. Will the Minister of State commit to considering funding for Shannon Heritage? Will she commit to the provision of funding for route support? The Aer Lingus route from Shannon to Heathrow is still not up and running, which is not the case for Cork or Dublin. It is absolutely critical that the aviation recovery task force report is acted upon and that funding is put in place to enable Shannon Airport to operate. A more specific task force will be needed for Shannon Airport itself.

See this speech in context