Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister did a good job with Leaders' Questions. I was watching from my office. I have a very quick question. Shannon Airport has submitted an application for a public service obligation route to the Department of Transport. This will soon come across the Minister, Deputy McGrath's desk. It seeks a service between Shannon Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Brexit has been a disaster for everyone on this island but we in the Shannon region are feeling it particularly strongly. We in the west of Ireland are geographically peripheral and distant from continental Europe. We have key companies like Boston Scientific and EI Electronics and many other very large companies that need to get their products out of the mid-west and into continental Europe. We need this service. The proposal has been warmly received by many. At 3 p.m., I am going to the Dutch Embassy to again push this matter. I would love to hear some words of positivity from the Minister.

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