Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House and I appreciate his work since he took office. A few of his achievements include the abolition of the travel tax, which has increased airline seat capacity to Ireland by millions; the rejuvenation of the tourism industry, thanks to the reduced VAT rate; The Gathering; and now the Wild Atlantic Way. The west has not gone without notice by the Minister. Last Friday, he and the Taoiseach officially turned the sod on the much-needed Gort-Tuam motorway. This is a huge €550 million project in respect of which 450 construction jobs are predicted. The motorway will be toll-free. The sod-turning happily ties into today's discussion in that the new motorway will allow for an excellent new means of access from Galway and the western seaboard to the revitalised Shannon Airport.

Only yesterday the independent Shannon Airport announced some impressive figures. The really significant news, however, is that the airport, thanks to the Minister, has severed its umbilical tie to the State's airport group and stopped the five-year decline in passenger numbers it had been experiencing. That is truly remarkable after only one year operating as an independent entity. The airport recorded a 140% increase in continental passenger numbers over the April period last year. American traffic has increased significantly. This increased traffic has considerable knock-on effects in the western region, both in commerce and tourism. Good news does not attract headlines, but the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, are to be sincerely congratulated on this.

Has the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport carried out an impact assessment on the provision in the Bill relating to the Cape Town Convention? Is there any indication of what additional revenue to the State the change might bring about? What level of aviation debt issuance is predicted? Is the Department predicting new financing sources?

I very much welcome the Bill. The changing of legislation regarding the Cape Town Convention, the new M17–M18 motorway and the significant increase in passenger numbers in Shannon Airport comprise a very positive news story for the west.