Results 5,681-5,700 of 26,014 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Group: Chairperson Designate (25 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Mr. Henry believes that can be done within the existing national aviation policy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Group: Chairperson Designate (25 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: The routes that were there pre-pandemic are back, in the main.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Group: Chairperson Designate (25 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Shannon needs to link up with Cork, Galway and Limerick with a bus service. There is also the matter of establishing European hub connectivity, which is in the Copenhagen report. How important is that to Shannon? How realistic is it to get to that point? There is a Brexit adjustment fund available and we have had discussions about applying for that fund. I ask Mr. Henry to deal with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Group: Chairperson Designate (25 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Through Heathrow.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Group: Chairperson Designate (25 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is an active policy function and policy objective and is being actively worked on by Shannon Airport board and management.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Group: Chairperson Designate (25 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Great. Our only interest is the region. I am based in Limerick city so I know how important Shannon Airport is. We are all working in the same field. Before I conclude, I will address a more local issue. I wish Mr. Henry well. He has our full support. We will be writing to the Minister to let him know we met with Mr. Henry. How realistic does he believe it is to have a rail link...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Group: Chairperson Designate (25 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Deputy mentioned hubs. Is that European hubs?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Group: Chairperson Designate (25 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I have one quick question. The passenger numbers at Shannon and Cork did not actually go down but went up over the period. The numbers at Dublin went up exponentially, however. Mr. Henry has a background in aviation. It is not a question of passenger numbers at Shannon not increasing because they did. However, they did not increase exponentially. I believe it is the same case for Cork...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Group: Chairperson Designate (25 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Is that not about engaging with the airlines?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Group: Chairperson Designate (25 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is a question of critical mass.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Group: Chairperson Designate (25 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Does Mr. Henry believe at this stage that Shannon can do it on its own? Will it require, as has happened in Holland, some method of looking at a more strategic distribution of passengers across the island? I refer, in particular, to our own jurisdiction, but it would probably involve all of the island. Is that what we are looking at? Can Shannon do it on its own?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Group: Chairperson Designate (25 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Does Mr. Henry believe that, in the absence of a national aviation policy, there is a ceiling or limit?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Group: Chairperson Designate (25 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: What will not get fixed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Group: Chairperson Designate (25 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Are we saying this expansion cannot happen in Shannon Airport unless there is a national aviation policy?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Group: Chairperson Designate (25 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: We will assist Mr. Henry and call for an urgent review. We will take the matter up with the Ministers. It is something we are collectively committed to, as a committee. I will call on the other non-member who wished to speak, Senator Conway.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Group: Chairperson Designate (25 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: As a committee, we have ongoing engagement with the airports. That is a natural feature. That will happen as a matter of course.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Shannon Group: Chairperson Designate (25 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: We have reached that critical point where we need to look at national aviation policy and have an honest and open discussion. It should not be rushed but it needs to be put in place. It will not happen overnight. If, as the board collectively looks at this issue under Mr. Henry's leadership over time, it comes to believe a specific policy is required once the review gets under way, I hope...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: The purposes of this meeting are to discuss the future of the An Post network with the Irish Postmasters Union and, separately, to meet with the chair designate of Bus Átha Cliath. The meeting will be held in two sessions. On behalf of the committee, I welcome to the first session, which is to discuss the future of the An Post network, the Irish Postmasters Union representatives: Mr....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Mr. O'Hara very much. We will now move to members. The first speaker is Senator Timmy Dooley, who has roughly seven or eight minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Future of An Post Network: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: In that regard, before the witnesses' comment, following on their appearance, we will have a response from the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, when she comes before us next week. We have also sent an invitation to An Post. We take what Senator Dooley said very seriously and we as a committee support it, but we want to be proactive about it as well. I invite Mr. O'Hara to respond to...