Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the announcement of Ryanair's winter schedule which sees five additional routes compared to its winter schedule in 2013. We will see flights to Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Fuerteventura and Cracow continuing in the winter schedule. These flights commenced in April and it was intended that they would operate just for the summer period. This is a very significant announcement, given that there will be an extra 24 flights a week during the winter period between Shannon Airport and these European destinations. It is a significant vote of confidence by Ryanair in Shannon Airport. It means that what the Government is doing in having an independent Shannon Airport, with a focused aviation policy and marketing strategy, is working. Coupled with the elimination of the travel tax, the continuation of the 9% VAT rate and the recalibration of the airport structure, these are very positive steps. It will mean the continuation of jobs in the tourism sector and the creation of others during the off season in parts of Couny Clare, Limerick, County Kerry and the wider region. I look forward to further significant announcements by other airlines when they announce their winter schedules in the coming weeks.