Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank all of the contributors to this useful debate. For the most part, contributions on this topic were thoughtful.

We must begin by recognising 90% of flights that leave this island leave from the east coast. When we talk about regional balance, we must start where we actually are and recognise there is no regional balance. It must be recognised that the west has been continuously failed in terms of regional balance and proper perspective in transport policy for decades. It must also be recognised, as so many Members across many parties said, that the separation of Shannon Airport from the Dublin Airport Authority has fundamentally failed. My colleague, Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne, in Clare has been steadfast on this issue. My colleague, Deputy Maurice Quinlivan, both as a councillor and a Deputy, has been steadfast on this issue. Sinn Féin stood with the workers and the unions as far back as 2012 saying that this policy would not work. We take no pleasure in saying that we have been proved correct.

The issues around Shannon Group are quite simple to resolve. The exigencies of how one would reintegrate Shannon into a new airport authority can easily be worked out. For example, Sinn Féin is on record as stating that Shannon Heritage should actually go to the Office of Public Works as we believe that would be a better home for it. That is up for discussion. The property company around the Shannon Free Zone must stay with the airport as it is an integral part of the wider business make-up that we need.

To hear one Senator regard the genuine wishes of the majority of workers in the airport as being ridiculous is frankly insulting. However, as that Senator has not decided to stay for the debate, I will not say anything further on that particular topic.

I hope the Minister of State will pass on to his colleagues that, across all sections of the Chamber, we have heard recognition of the fact that the separation of Shannon has failed. The key point in our motion is that we will not fix this without dealing with that issue. We need investment. The investment yesterday was welcome but it was just the start. We will need much more. Unless we tie that investment into an integrated network of airports, it will fail again.

It might not be popular to say this but the current management of Shannon Group has failed fundamentally. It has to be called out. It has not delivered, in the past few years in particular. The statistics are there for all to see and the workers know it. They are furious that they see much larger director fees. There seems to be no end of wealth for the guys at the top. For the people on the ground, however, whether they work in Shannon Heritage or in the airport, they have to face more hardship.

I hope what will come from this debate is a recognition that something fundamentally has to change. My concern is that right now the Minister is looking at a review of Shannon. If these decisions are not taken now, will we have another review of Shannon next year or the year after? This is the time when the fundamental decision on the future Shannon has to be made. I accept what Senator Dooley said. We can call it a new national airport authority. The name clearly has to change. We need to be at one - many of us - that an integrated network of airports is the future, not just for Shannon but also for Cork and the other airports across the west.

I cannot accept the amendment because as Senator Warfield has pointed out, it is too vague and offers no direction. If the Minister accepts it, it just gives one a whole potpourri of choices that one could pursue. What I wanted to come from this debate was a clear direction of choice. That direction of choice is to reintegrate Shannon into a new airport authority and then give it the regional balance it needs. This will ensure the management of that new airport authority is clear that regional balance must be at its heart. That is what we do not have at the moment. That is why it is failing in terms of regional balance. That is why nine out of ten flights, when they do resume, will still be going from the east coast. That is why we have to make this change now.

There have been constructive contributions. It is important to give Shannon the focus. We must do more, however, and that is why I will be pressing this to a vote on Friday.