Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy McNamara for tabling this motion, to which I added my name in support. I have no difficulty with the amendment tabled by Sinn Féin but I also see great merit in the amendment tabled by Solidarity - People Before Profit. I am sure they will make their own arguments for it but I would ask Deputy McNamara to consider that amendment. I do not think there is anything objectionable in it. The amendment sets out the facts relating to the industry, particularly in the context of the challenges we face with regard to climate change, of which I am sure the Minister is very aware. I would urge the Deputy to look closely at that amendment.

I am not sure why the Government is not accepting the motion as it stands. It is pretty innocuous and straightforward. It calls for the implementation of the aviation recovery task force report's 12 recommendations. I will return to that task force later and its unbalanced gender representation. The motion also calls on the Government to prepare a new national aviation policy which is absolutely essential in the context of climate change challenges. I am not sure why the Minister would have any problem with that. The motion further calls for the development of a testing regime which the Government is currently actively examining. It also asks the Government to include Shannon and Cork Airports in financial assistance packages, with which the Minister has no difficulty, and to acknowledge Shannon Airport's traditional role as Ireland's transit airport. It also refers to reduced carbon emissions and again, I am not sure why the Minister would have a difficulty with any of that. I used the word innocuous earlier but I will take that back. There is nothing controversial in this motion. I can certainly see why the Minister might have a difficulty with the amendment proposed by Solidarity - People Before Profit, although I have no difficulty with it. I am not sure how any member of the Green Party could have a difficulty with it because we really need a sustainable aviation sector. Indeed, the task force makes reference to sustainability. I will return to that matter later.

The importance of regional airports cannot be overstressed. In Galway, we have no airport. I understood the reasons for the closure of the airport at the time. I did not object because I could see that the airport was in financial trouble and was not viable. Most importantly, it was argued that Shannon Airport was just down the road and would be the airport for the region. When Covid-19 struck, the stories from employees, including pilots and workers of various grades, of how badly they were treated were nothing short of shocking. That is captured in the amendment by Solidarity - People Before Profit.

The aviation recovery task force reported very quickly and it was very good under pressure. It held a number of meetings. Appendix 2, however, lists the 15 task force members, of whom three are women. It just brings home, in a stark way, our utter failure to have gender representation when important decisions are being made. I understand the task force was set up under pressure but the female membership is just three out of 15 on something as important as this.

I have no difficulty with any of the 12 recommendations of the task force and I acknowledge the assistance given by the Government to struggling companies under the wage subsidy scheme and all of the other packages that were made available. I acknowledge this openly. When we look at this in the context of Covid, and I have said this repeatedly, there is no going back. I am concerned that even with the task force, which I have no problem with, there is a mantra to return to where we were before Covid. I do not believe this will be possible. We cannot go back to where we were before Covid in anything. We must go forward in a completely different way and realise that the aviation sector was simply not sustainable. I imagine that the Minister, Deputy Ryan, would know this more than I do. We simply cannot go back at all. I worry about statements that say it will take a little time to go back to where we were.

One of the 12 recommendations is on sustainable development. It jumps off the page. It is in contradiction to going back to where we were. It is recommendation No. 6. Cork, Shannon, Donegal, Ireland West and Kerry airports are particularly picked out for a stimulus package because of their importance to the regions. I will leave that for the moment because I also want to look at the spending review. It was carried out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which makes some very interesting points. It says very clearly that regional airports cannot function without State support and that the provision of regional services would be extremely challenging without Government intervention. It is just a fact. We recognise this, but the intervention must be given in a sustainable way that maximises support for the maximum number of people. We need to develop outside of Dublin. Again, the Minister knows this. I am preaching to the converted. Not alone do we need to build up the five cities that are picked out, we need to do it in such a way that does not take from the rural areas. We need to build up towns and villages with connectivity. So, we come back to Galway and the west. We need a western rail corridor, to which I believe the Minister is committed. We need a feasibility study for light rail in the city so the city can function in a sustainable way, with a golden opportunity to be a green, lean city that is not developing at the expense of Conamara, Kilmaine or Shrule, but is developed along with them. Aviation comes into this because the nearest airport that we have is Shannon, and then Donegal but this is not connected by rail at all, as pointed out by my colleague, Deputy Pringle. We need to have an overall look at all of this. This is why we need a new aviation policy with sustainability at its core.

There are many interesting things in the spending review. Mayo has Ireland's largest regional airport with 23 destinations in nine different countries. In 2018 it had 772,000 passengers and more in 2019. This is more than double the figures for the next biggest regional airport. It has been a huge success and has done very well, but obviously it cannot do without public support. The review points out that there is relatively little data on passengers using all of the regional airports. This is despite the importance of the airports, despite the importance of connectivity and despite the amount of public money going into them. There is relatively little data on passengers using the regional airports. Ireland West Airport Knock distinguished itself by being better than that and it did surveys to find out exactly who was coming in and who was going out, where they were going and the purposes of their journeys. This is intimately connected and an integral part of Fáilte Ireland and tourism, so we can direct the money in a more targeted and efficient way.

I support my colleague, Deputy Pringle, on Shannon Airport. I support the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and the Green Party on a lot of issues but I really think this is a chance to make a difference for Shannon Airport. American soldiers going through the airport is just not acceptable. The protests have been happening for 20 years. I have not done it as often as I should have but I pay tribute to those who had the courage, determination and energy to go there every single month and stand up. They were demonised and given out about, but these are normal, rational people. They are more normal and rational than I, and I count myself as a pretty rational and pragmatic person. They stood out in every weather to say that this is utterly wrong and that we cannot use Shannon Airport to bring a war machine through it that is out to kill and maim people in other countries. I use this stark language deliberately to bring home what war does. When one considers war in relation to climate change it is the biggest problem and is the elephant in the room that we just simply ignore, like we ignore the aviation sector in the context of climate change because the sector is so important to us. If the Minister does nothing else - I will take that back, he is doing quite a lot - let us look at Shannon Airport, let us stand up and be counted and let us show a principled stand and not just for principle's sake but because it is wrong to have American soldiers going through our airport and off to kill, maim and murder in our name. It is now in our name because we are facilitating them. If we do nothing else let us do that.

I support the motion and I also support both amendments. I ask Deputy McNamara to look at the amendments. I know he has looked at one and I ask that he looks at the other. If we are seriously interested in a sustainable aviation industry then we must give serious consideration to the other amendments also.

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