Tom Shehan (Fine Gael)

My question relates to the tourism industry, particular in the south of the country, in advance of the impending tourism season. The potential for job creation in the tourism sector in counties such as that in which I live, namely, the kingdom of Kerry, is enormous. In the short to medium term, the best prospects for growth in local economies is to exploit the solid product that exists in tourism hotspots. Between December and February, trips to Ireland were up by 2.7%. Some 1.15 million people from overseas visited the country during those three months. However, Shannon Airport has lost 2 million passengers since 2007 and is understood to have a long-standing debt of €100 million. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, previously stated that Shannon will be the first of the State airports to have certainty about its future and that he would make a recommendation to Cabinet by Easter on the best option for its future viability. I do not believe the Minister has made that decision or has delivered his recommendations to the Cabinet. I, therefore, ask the Leader to invite him to come before the House in order that we might discuss the future viability of Shannon Airport, the tourism product in this country and the possibilities that exist in the context of creating employment in the tourism sector.