Transport Minister says Govt intervention needed on Shannon Airport

*Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan. Photograph; John Mangan

A Clare Government TD has said the Minister for Transport is considering a wide range of financial supports for Shannon Airport.

State aid is urgently required for Shannon Airport, Deputy Joe Carey (FG) has told Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan (GP). A meeting was held on Friday last between members of the all-party Shannon Airport Oireachtas Group with the CEO and Chairperson of Shannon Group.

Carey requested the Minister for Transport to back the recommendations of the aviation task force with regards to Shannon Airport. “We should use the stimulus package for route development and support for capital development works. We need to get the airport up and running again”.

Minister Ryan said both he and Minister of State at the Department of Transport with responsibility for Aviation, Hildegarde Naughton (FG) were “very aware that the Shannon Group as a whole is in real difficulty, along with the rest of the aviation and tourism sector. I will commit to examining the proposal from the Shannon Group”. He also referred to other options including getting local authorities or the OPW involved.

Government intervention will be required with Shannon Group, the leader of the Green Party stated. “We will have to intervene with the Shannon Group because it is suffering more than any other organisation due to the loss of flights and the effective shutdown of the overseas tourism industry. We have to manage that the situation and I will commit to keeping the Deputies present and other local Deputies informed about what is happening. I will always have an open door in the context of hearing their views on the best approach for us to take. I cannot commit to anything here, but it is very useful to have had this debate”.

On Wednesday, Junior Minister Naughten announced €2.4m in funding for regional airports. This included Kerry (€1,178,595), Knock (€1,000,524) and Donegal (€276,871).