Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I call on Aer Lingus to review and change its decision. The Ministers will meet with Aer Lingus management today. The entire thrust of Government policy is to create proper regional development and balance in the economic development of this country. Airports, including Shannon and Cork Airports, are key to that. As was said earlier, over the years the volume of traffic has been concentrated in the Dublin area so we need to build up regional cities, such as Limerick, Cork and many others. That is why the largest infrastructural investment has been put into those cities. On the specifics, there is a realisation in Government of the seriousness of this matter. No effort will be spared to get international travel back. Next week, we will have proposals around the entire area of international travel as we emerge from the pandemic.

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