Mid-west politicians vow to keep up pressure over pull-out

POLITICAL leaders from the mid-west yesterday vowed to maintain pressure on the Government over the Aer Lingus decision to switch Heathrow services from Shannon to Belfast.

Up to 30 protesters, including TDs and councillors, picketed Government Buildings as ministers arrived before 10am for their first Cabinet meeting since the summer recess.

Fine Gael TD Joe Carey repeated demands for the Dáil to be recalled early to discuss the impact of the Aer Lingus decision on business and tourism interests in the mid-west. Mr Carey said: “We want to continue to pressurise the Government to force Aer Lingus to reverse its decision to take the Heathrow service out of Shannon and have sought meetings with the Taoiseach and Transport Minister Noel Dempsey.”

The protest group also included the mayors of Clare and Limerick and councillors from several political parties including Fianna Fáil.

Mr Carey said that executives from Shannon firm Element Six travel regularly to Hong Kong, but the journey will now take them one and a half days longer because the Shannon-Heathrow service has been axed.

“A total of 49 other world cities including Beijing, Sao Paulo and Cape Town are also cut off from Shannon,” he added.

Mr Carey also said he regretted yesterday’s decision by Belarusian national airline Belavia to end its weekly winter service between Shannon and Minsk in October.

The airline carries many children from the Chernobyl disaster area to spend short holidays with host families in Ireland.

“What these children had in terms of a better quality of life for a few weeks has now been taken away from them,” said Mr Carey.