Rebecca Moynihan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Gavan and the Sinn Féin group for bringing forward this motion. I also thank the Ministers of State, Deputies Feighan and Hildegarde Naughton, for coming into the House to discuss it. Coming from Dublin, I am struck by the great degree of openness and collaboration among people from the mid-west region regarding Shannon Airport. All of us come to this discussion with the best of intentions to try to find a solution.

During the discussion we had on the wider aviation sector some weeks ago, I said that we were a small island nation in the middle of a perfect storm for the aviation industry. We are faced with Brexit, climate change and a wipe-out of passenger numbers arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. The western seaboard, in particular, is dependent on Shannon and Cork airports and those smaller regional airports are struggling. I commend Senator Gavan on introducing the motion, keeping the issue of Shannon Airport on the agenda during these turbulent times and prioritising and focusing on workers' rights in every statement he makes on this issue.

I noted in yesterday's budget that the small amount of capital funding given to Cork and Shannon airports did little to support the workers who lost their jobs or have taken pay cuts. I hope some conditionality can be attached to the funding in respect of workers when those grants are distributed. As I said in a previous contribution, it is essential that any support given to the industry is conditional on compliance with workers' rights.

In this time of crisis, we need the State and stakeholders in the sector to act together to ensure our airlines and supporting industries are viable in future. From listening to the contributions from both sides in this House, it is clear there is cross-party support for ensuring the future viability of Shannon Airport and widespread agreement on this issue.I know there are mixed feelings about taking Shannon back into the control of the DAA and other possible alternatives have been suggested. There is a feeling among some that the DAA tried to choke Shannon when it came under its control. I think we can all agree that a unified plan for a strategic approach to international connectivity is crucial and challenging, and will require the support of all stakeholders and political parties within the region. Balanced regional development is not just good for the mid-west, it is good for the Dublin region and it is good for the rest of the island.

I cannot support what the Government's amendment states about ensuring competition among the airlines, which is contained in the last couple of paragraphs, because I do not believe this is the way to go. A wider discussion is required with stakeholders on how the airline will be operated, but as a small island with small airports I do not think we should promote competition among airports. It is crucial for the entire island that we have good connectivity for the wider regions.