CLARE’s first shots of the election campaign have taken flight with Leonora Carey (FG) shooting an indirect dig towards outgoing TD, Cathal Crowe (FF).
Fianna Fáil’s commitment to remove the passenger cap at Dublin Airport as per their election manifesto is a major betrayal to Shannon and the wider Mid-West region, first-time General Election candidate Leonora Carey (FG) has said.
Removing the passenger cap in Dublin is among nine priorities for tourism development in Fianna Fáil’s election manifesto, the Clarecastle woman observed. “There are no proposals to use spare capacity at Shannon and Cork to relieve the unsustainable growth at Dublin Airport nor for the establishment of a national aviation policy to address the critical imbalance in regional development”.
She continued, “In the section dealing with tourism development, the Fianna Fáil manifesto clearly states, ‘Recognising the importance of Dublin airport for tourism development, we will remove the passenger cap at Dublin airport as soon as possible’. The manifesto is even clearer when it comes to the party’s proposals on transport and its proposals for improving airport connectivity and capacity where it states that ‘removing the self-defeating cap on flights at Dublin Airport is a priority for Fianna Fáil”.
Carey highlighted, “Dublin Airport currently handles 86 per cent of Ireland’s air traffic and is one of Europe’s most congested airports. Yet, Shannon and Cork have ample capacity to accommodate five million more passengers without significant investment and this is completely overlooked in the Fianna Fáil manifesto. Shannon’s catchment area covers 38 per cent of Ireland’s population, yet the airport handles just four per cent of the country’s traffic. Half of the country’s foreign direct investment is based in the region which is also a major tourism hub. It should be easier for passengers in the Shannon region to fly directly to their destinations rather than being funnelled through Dublin. This would save time, cut carbon emissions from road travel, and reduce congestion in Dublin”.
Outgoing TD, Cathal Crowe (FF) who is also Fianna Fáil’s spokesperson on aviation and tourism was contacted for comment by The Clare Echo.
