Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Shannon Airport is a key economic driver in the mid-west and western region. Yesterday, Ryanair announced that effective January 2020, it will not be operating flights from Shannon Airport to Bristol, East Midlands and Ibiza. January 2020 is only a couple of months away. In December 2018, I raised the issue of European connectivity at Shannon Airport with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross. Shannon Airport is the only international airport in Ireland that is not Brexit-proofed in terms of a European hub. The Heathrow hub is effective but post-Brexit, unlike Cork Airport which has the Amsterdam and Charles de Gaulle hubs, and Dublin Airport which has a multitude of major European hubs, there is no European hub in Shannon Airport.

At a meeting between the Minister, Deputy Ross, and the Shannon Group on 6 February, which I arranged, the Minister asked the group to make a submission to his Department on the establishment of a major European hub at Shannon Airport. This took place on 21 March and discussions have been ongoing. In terms of Project 2040 and strategic regional development in Ireland, post-Brexit Shannon Airport must have a major European hub in place. The hub up for consideration is Frankfurt, to which Shannon Airport operates flights in the summer months. My view on the matter at this point is that it is imperative that this hub is put in place.

In 2005, Dublin Airport had 72% of the air traffic. It now has 87%, Shannon Airport has 4% and Cork Airport has 5%. It is imperative for the employees of Shannon Airport and the people of Limerick, who I represent, that Shannon Airport is in a position to service the large multinational base of companies. While Shannon Airport has only 4% in terms of inward passengers, the Shannon, mid-west and western region has an exponential number of multinational companies, well above the norm for Ireland Inc. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate in the House with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, on aviation policy in Ireland. We cannot allow a situation in which Dublin Airport only continues to grow. I accept the need for a strong capital city, but Dublin Airport is chaotic at times. The capacity of Shannon Airport is 4.5 million passengers. Currently, approximately 1.8 to 1.9 passengers pass through that airport, which means the airport is only operating 40% capacity. Given the size of this island, why are we not considering divesting air traffic to Shannon? I have been working on this matter with the Shannon Group, the Minister, Deputy Ross, and his Department for the past year. We have reached the time when the critical decision has to be made. Shannon Airport must be given support to establish a major European hub such that whatever happens in the context of Brexit, about which there is much uncertainty right now, it is secure in terms of European connectivity. Shannon will continue to have the Heathrow hub, but the Frankfurt hub would remove any uncertainty and ensure it can service the large base of US multinational companies and others based in the mid-west and western region, which have located here because of our excellent workforce. Shannon Airport must have connectivity to a major European hub. I reiterate my call to the Leader to arrange a debate in the House with the Minister, Deputy Ross, on aviation policy in Ireland and I call on the Minister and his Department to expedite the decision and to work with and support Shannon Airport to establish a major European hub to ensure it and the region are Brexit-proof.

As I said, I have been working on this project for the last year and will continue to work on. We must have a definite decision on this matter, which has to be agreement to establish a major European hub at Frankfurt, to promote balanced regional development, to support the multinational base in the region and the tourism sector. We must ensure that Project 2040 is implemented in the correct manner such that resources are spread throughout Ireland.