Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As a former chief executive officer in the chamber of commerce movement, I met IDA Ireland on many occasions over the years. Members from the west will be aware that the challenge in balanced regional development has always been access to the area. The costs in Government subvention to Knock airport is 83 cent per passenger and to Shannon, by comparison, it is almost ¤5 per passenger. The Government spoke, as reported on 31 March in The Irish Times, by way of the Minister, Deputy Vardakar. It is implicit in that quotation that they must change Government policy to reverse the trend of a community trust-owned airport at Knock performing exceptionally well, contributing almost ¤150 million to the economy in terms of tourism numbers and, not least, with potential to be an economic driver to attract additional industry.