Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

He made a decision on Shannon Airport that will have a severe and detrimental effect on Knock Airport and Kerry Regional Airport. I am a proud west of Ireland man and when I say the "west" I mean the area that stretches from Donegal to Kerry and covers half of the country. It is quite obvious that there is a systemic attempt being made by the Department to dismantle and deconstruct the excellent work that has been done by airport management to make Knock Airport viable. They have made it not so much a strategic asset but a valuable asset in terms of the social, economic and tourism development of the west and northwest of Ireland. The work is vitally important. The management of Knock Airport, despite their good relations with the officials in the Department, has been unable to engage with them on the Government's strategic plan.

Putting it bluntly, the Minister has, as the chairman of the Knock Airport authority, Liam Scollan, said, put Knock and Shannon airports into a 1,500 m race and given Shannon half a lead before the race even starts. These are fundamental issues which need to be addressed. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar, must attend the House to debate this matter as the future of the west, from Donegal to Kerry, is at stake and we need to find out the Government's thinking in this regard.