Written answers

Tuesday, 24 May 2005

9:00 pm

Photo of Michael LowryMichael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 275: To ask the Minister for Transport if correspondence (details supplied) has been brought to his attention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17093/05]

Photo of Martin CullenMartin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The correspondence to which the Deputy refers was sent to the Taoiseach, but was also copied to me as well as many other Deputies. The letter is a follow-up to a previous letter sent in April and concerns the approaching liberalisation of the EU-US aviation market, and how this will impact on Shannon. The letter refers to proposals by the Shannon Airport Authority, Shannon Development and the Mid-West Regional Authority regarding a package of initiatives for the continued growth of Shannon Airport and the west including the roll-out of key infrastructural projects in the Shannon Airport catchment area. There is a willingness in the region to embrace change and the proposed initiatives are generally consistent with Government policy for Shannon and the mid-west region.

The restructuring of the State Airports, including Shannon, is intended to enhance their regional focus and I am encouraged by the close co-operation between the new Shannon Airport Authority and the other regional development bodies in the area. Work under way in my Department on a ten-year transport investment framework will address the future infrastructural requirements of the mid-west region. The restructuring of the State Airports, including Shannon, will proceed in the light of the assessment in due course, by me and the Minister for Finance, of the business plans which are under preparation by the three airport authorities.

The chairman of Shannon Airport Authority is one of the co-authors of the letter to which the Deputy refers. I am confident therefore that the business plan being prepared by Shannon Airport will have taken all the points raised in the letter into consideration. As I have stated in previous replies, the development of an EU — US open-skies regime provides many opportunities for Shannon Airport to contribute to the development of the mid-west. The liberalisation of the aviation market between the EU and US will mean more, not fewer, opportunities for Shannon to develop new routes into North America, and would, for example, allow Shannon to take steps to develop itself into a passenger or freight hub between the US and Eastern Europe in particular.

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