Seanad debates

Tuesday, 11 June 2019

Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters

State Airports

2:30 pm

Photo of Kieran O'DonnellKieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, for taking the time out of his busy schedule to attend this critical debate on Shannon Airport, the entire western region and, particularly, my city, Limerick. The Minister is well aware of my interest in this area. I first raised the matter of Shannon Airport getting major European hub connectivity with him in the House on 6 December. Shannon Airport is the only international airport in Ireland which does not have major European hub connectivity on a year-on basis. While it has great connectivity through Heathrow, Dublin Airport has umpteen hub connections. I accept it serves the capital city and that is important. Cork Airport has good European hub connectivity through Amsterdam with two daily flights and Paris with one daily flight. Shannon Airport, however, has no direct European hub connectivity.

I raised the matter with the Minister on 6 December. I followed it up with a meeting on Wednesday, 6 February, with the Shannon Airport management group and the Minister at which I put forward the argument that a Brexit strategic route development fund should be established. It was a constructive meeting and, on foot of it, the Minister requested and encouraged Shannon Airport management group to make a submission to his Department on a route development strategy into a main European hub. I understand this submission was made to the Minister and the Department by the group on 21 March.

The context of this is straightforward. Shannon is a key economic driver for the entire mid-west region, the western region and Limerick city. The airport is doing well but it has major excess capacity. Last year it served 1.86 million passengers but it has a capacity for 4.5 million passengers. Accordingly, it is operating at just over 40% of its capacity and could accommodate 2.6 million extra passengers. Dublin Airport is under severe pressure and the percentage of passengers its deals with is increasing. In 2005, it accounted for 72% of all air passengers. In the first quarter of 2019, however, Dublin Airport accounted for 87% while Shannon accounted for just under 4% and Cork over 6% of passenger numbers.We are looking to drive economic growth outside Dublin exponentially under Project Ireland 2040. Shannon Airport must be a key element of this. The Minister's national aviation policy, the latest update of which appeared in February this year, talks about maximising the contribution of the aviation sector to Ireland's economic growth and development. In terms of individual airports, the Government is looking to attract new business and sustainable development to drive local economies.

I am asking for an update regarding a submission from Shannon Group to the Minister and Department on 21 March on foot of a meeting I organised with the management of Shannon Group on Wednesday, 6 February. Where is that proposal? We have very good connectivity through Heathrow Airport involving daily flights. In light of Brexit, We need to complement that with major European hub connectivity. Establishing a route out of Shannon Airport to a major European hub is critical in terms of Project Ireland 2040, Shannon Airport and, more particularly, the western region and my home city of Limerick.

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