Brendan Daly (Fianna Fail)

I have represented the Shannon area in the Oireachtas for 32 years and have heard much talk about airports in that time. I am glad we are having this type of discussion because for far too long people in my constituency were worried about whether there would be any more flights into Shannon Airport. It was a case of seeking special concessions and devising other ingenuous means to attract airlines into the airport.

Today, however, we are debating a situation whereby airports are crowded with passengers queueing to get on flights. There is a thriving aviation industry and a thriving airport in Dublin. There are undoubtedly some problems with accommodation but it is preferable to endure such difficulties than to have Dublin Airport staff watching the sky in vain hope of the arrival of an aircraft as did their counterparts in Shannon in the past.