Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Some months ago, permission was granted to Shannon Group to construct a new air cargo hub logistics facility at Rineanna South, Shannon. This will be a massive facility. It is right by the runway. It is perfectly positioned to receive transit cargo and take it worldwide. We really want to see this happen. I am sure there is a tenant in mind for this. We would love to see Amazon there. I would imagine every Deputy in this House has the Amazon app on his or her phone. It is how people shop these days. A pair of jeans comes in from the UK. Tops come in from America. There are Prime vans on every road in Ireland in the mornings but we really need a second facility. The facility in Dublin is fantastic but Shannon still has huge advantages over Dublin. In spite of the new runway opening in Dublin in August last, we still have Ireland's longest runway. We have incredible hangarage. We are uniquely positioned, as I say, as a stepping stone to the United States and the European Union. With Brexit having happened and with all its woes, Shannon and the mid-west are positioned perfectly for a new cargo facility. Let us not get to the point in 12 months' time where we are still talking about 1% of air cargo leaving Ireland. We need to increase that. It is far more sustainable in terms of shipping things worldwide.

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