Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I had the honour of being chairman of Fáilte Ireland for the north west from 2008 to 2010. I would like to be in that position still but because I was re-elected to this House, I had to relinquish the chairmanship of that organisation. One of the key elements of the development plan by Fáilte Ireland in the north west, in consultation with other tourism organisations in the west, was to improve access into the island of Ireland. That was the main focus. We dealt with Donegal airport and with our counterparts in Northern Ireland concerning Derry and Belfast. That necklace of airports included Donegal, Knock and Shannon. There was always a danger that it could develop into a war between Knock and Shannon airports, but they were seen to be complementary to each other. Shannon had a deserved history of developing transatlantic flights, as well as a fledgling aerospace industry which developed, and the industrial zone, all of which was absent in Knock.

Last week, Mr. Liam Scollan of Knock airport attended the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications, of which I am a member. He has voiced serious concerns on behalf of the airport's management about the business plan that has been put forward for decoupling Shannon. It is on that business plan that my colleagues, including Senator O'Sullivan and others, have been focusing. There is a genuine belief that, as it stands, this plan is risky. As Senator Ó Clochartaigh has said, one of the elements of that business plan, in terms of improving traffic numbers through Shannon, is to take back passengers that have been gained by Kerry and Knock airports.

The figure for passengers that Knock has put forward is in excess of 700,000, which it wants to grow to 1.5 million. The airport management believes it can realistically grow to at least 1 million over the next couple of years. The Shannon business plan is seeking to double passenger numbers as well. No more than with the property tax, is this the right time? It is not that Fianna Fáil is against the notion of decoupling, in principle. After all, it was the late and much lamented Seamus Brennan who introduced the primary legislation for decoupling Cork and Shannon from Dublin. I was in this House when he did it.

Two basic points need to be made. First, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, should attend this House to explain exactly what the aviation policy is within his Department into which Knock airport fits. Knock airport's management have said that in their discussions with the Department of Transport, the officials do not see it as a strategic airport. I do not understand that. Second, there are serous question marks about the future of the Dublin Airport Authority which are also inhibiting the orderly and successful development of an aviation policy in this country.