Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 533: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the assessment formal or otherwise that has been carried out to ascertain the ramifications in airport competition terms of the decision to create a new entity comprising Shannon Airport and Shannon Development debt free; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24307/12]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 549: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to ensure the future viability of the Shannon Airport. in view of the halfing of traffic into the airport in recent years to approximately 1.5 million annually, [24129/12]

Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 556: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the person who will fund the major capex programmes for the new independent Shannon Airport going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24314/12]

Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 557: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the commitment made for working capital provision in addition to debt write off for the new entity comprising Shannon Airport and Shannon Development as announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24315/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 533, 549, 556 and 557 together.

Following on from the Booz Report on the future ownership and operation of Cork and Shannon Airports, the Government has decided in principle to separate Shannon Airport from the Dublin Airport Authority and to merge it with a restructured Shannon Development to form a new entity in public ownership.The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and I will now establish a Steering Group that will bring forward proposals for the implementation of the decision.

Questions in relation to the future of the Airport, its funding and its debt along with airport competition issues are among the matters to be considered by the Steering Group in the first instance.

I should make it clear, however, that it is envisaged that the new merged entity, while remaining in public ownership, would have a commercial mandate with no recourse to Exchequer funding.