Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State is very welcome. The development of Shannon Airport on its own has a good chance of winning, but only if everybody gets behind it. I have been in Ireland West Airport Knock on a number of occasions recently and was impressed by the way the people in the area got behind it. When Monsignor Horan started it, people said it would be very risky and would not succeed, but it succeeded because local people were behind it. The same thing can happen in Shannon, but only if the people get behind it. I was stunned and shaken by the figures provided by Senator Barrett, including the high costs of trying to run that airport. If it is going to work, it will be because everybody in that area, including those working in the airport, get behind it and show their enthusiasm for doing so.