Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 145: To ask the Minister for Transport if, in view of the confirmation received from the EU Transport Commissioner that an individual State may not enter talks with the US in advance of a full agreement on open skies between the EU and US, the ratio of Dublin-Shannon flights will move from 1.1 to 3.1 from November 2006; if the deadlock in EU and US open skies negotiations is not resolved and if he intends changing the ratio in November 2006, the mechanism through which he intends introducing that change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21364/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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As I have stated in previous Questions the text of a first-phase EU-US Open Skies agreement was unanimously endorsed at the December 2005 Transport Council subject to sufficient progress by the US side on opening up ownership and control of US airlines to EU investors. It had been expected that the process of changing the ownership and control rules would have been concluded early in 2006 so that a final decision could be taken at the June Transport Council. However, due to difficulties on the US side the rule-making process has been extended but they have indicated that the matter will be concluded in August in time for agreement at the October Transport Council. I therefore have every confidence that the issue will be resolved at the October Transport Council. It is neither possible nor appropriate to give definitive views in relation to the options that may exist if this does not happen.