Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On Sunday, a new service was launched from Shannon Airport with Norwegian Airlines flying weekly to Providence, just outside Boston, and to Stewart, just outside New York. It is a great news story for Shannon, for Limerick and the region.

A review of the runway capacity at all State airports is under way, commissioned by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross. The percentage of traffic coming into Dublin is going up. It was 80% and is now 87%. There is talk of a third terminal in Dublin. Shannon Airport is operating at 50% capacity. We speak of balanced regional development. This is a relatively small island and that should be taken into account in this review. I have no doubt that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport will come before us to discuss other matters. Bord Fáilte, in its marketing abroad, should encourage people to come to the mid-west and the western seaboard, including Cork. That is often overlooked. If Dublin grows beyond sustainability, it will have a negative impact on the wider economy. We are more than open for business in Shannon for extra capacity for airlines.