Joe Conway (Independent)

I join the Cathaoirleach in welcoming the ambassador from the Czech Republic. I was in his lovely country on one occasion in 1999. It was a bittersweet occasion for me because while I was there, on 2 July 1999, we lost a Dauphin helicopter in the sand dunes in Tramore, County Waterford, with the loss of the four Air Corps members on board. That gives me an easy segue into what I want to talk about. That helicopter was based in Waterford Airport, which has had a difficult existence for the past 40 years. Not many people know that Waterford Airport was the airport from where the first Ryanair flight took off, but the success pattern of Ryanair and Waterford Airport could not be more of a contrast. However, I am glad to tell the House that yesterday afternoon the members of Waterford City and County Council voted, almost unanimously, to conjoin with an American private enterprise consortium to develop the airport fully to accommodate big jet planes to land there. They hope to have the project finished by 2027. I commend the councillors because there was a certain amount of opposition to giving away some sections of land. They really put their courage to the sticking place yesterday and I commend them on that. We will not be here on Saturday, but we should congratulate the international airport in Knock on a successful first 40 years. As it progresses towards its 1 millionth passenger the naysayers, like the naysayers in Waterford, have been confounded. It is a great success story and I hope the same will follow for Waterford as well.