Pictured (L-R): Caroline Kelleher, Director of Public Affairs, The Shannon Airport Group | Maurice Quinlivan TD | Ray O’Driscoll, Interim CEO, The Shannon Airport Group | Louis O’Hara TD | Rachael Leahy, Company Secretary and Head of Legal, The Shannon Airport Group | Joe Cooney TD | Cathal Crowe TD | Donna McGettigan TD | Senator Martin Conway.
SIX OIREACHTAS members from the Mid-West attended a briefing in Shannon Airport on Monday morning where they reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the airport and its role as a driver of economic growth for the Mid-West, and to advancing policies that support balanced regional development.
Only a quarter of the representatives of the Shannon Airport Oireachtas Group attended the briefing. There are 24 cross‑party members representing Clare, Limerick, Galway, and Tipperary. The group includes representatives from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Sinn Féin, Labour, Independents, and Independent Ireland.
However, only the group’s Chairperson, Cathal Crowe TD (FF), Joe Cooney TD (FG), Donna McGettigan TD (SF), Senator Martin Conway, Maurice Quinlivan TD (SF) and Louis O’Hara TD (SF) attended.
During the visit, members received a detailed briefing on the Shannon Airport Group’s €40 million investment programme for 2026. The update included a particular focus on the €15 million upgrade of the airport terminal, now underway, which will deliver major customer experience and environmental gains.
The project will facilitate the terminal’s transition to electric heat pump technology and will include a new curved architectural façade, designed to improve energy efficiency and support a move away from fossil‑fuel systems. It will also see the complete upgrade of the immigration and baggage halls which will be streamlined for arriving passengers.
Members were also updated on the Group’s wider sustainability programme, including the on‑airfield Solar PV farm launched in November by Minister for Transport and Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O’Brien (FF) which will supply up to 20% of the airport’s electricity needs.
They also heard about ongoing carbon‑reduction measures, the airport’s Level 3 Airport Carbon Accreditation, and its circular‑economy initiatives, all of which contributed to the Group’s recent double win at the Green Awards for Green Public Sector Organisation of the Year and Green Large Organisation of the Year.
Speaking after the meeting, Chair of the Shannon Airport Oireachtas Group, Cathal Crowe TD, said, “We greatly welcomed today’s comprehensive briefing on the 2026 investment plans and the transformative impact they will have – not only for passengers flying through Shannon, but also in terms of the airport’s ongoing efforts to green its operations for the future. In recent weeks, I was pleased to welcome the decision to include Shannon Airport in the new Regional Airports Programme 2026–2030. This is a strong acknowledgment of Shannon’s essential role in supporting balanced regional development and maintaining vital connectivity for the West and Mid‑West. Our group worked hard to secure this inclusion, and we thank the Minister and the Department of Transport for recognising the airport’s strategic importance.
“We will continue to advocate strongly for Shannon Airport and to call for a refreshed National Aviation Policy that aligns with the ambitions of Project Ireland 2040,” he added.
Interim CEO of The Shannon Airport Group, Ray O’Driscoll, added: “We are delighted to welcome members of the Shannon Airport Oireachtas Group back to Shannon Airport today. Their cross‑party support over the past year has been invaluable in advancing the interests of the airport and the wider region, and we deeply appreciate their continued engagement”.
