Council seeks airport meeting

CLARE County Council members are seeking a meeting with Transport Minister Leo Varadkar and the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) on the future of Shannon airport.

In a heated debate, Fine Gael Cllr John Crowe told the October meeting of the council: “It is an absolute scandal what has happened at Shannon Airport in the past couple of years. We have seen this airport decline, decline and decline.”

Independent Cllr PJ Ryan said the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) “was operating with one hand tied behind its back with the DAA calling the shots. Dublin is the big concern for the DAA”.

Before the end of the year, Mr Varadkar is due to decide the structure of the state airports and whether he will give Shannon and Cork their independence.

However, in a recent Dáil debate, the minister said there was no point separating the three “only to see one or two of them going bust in a short period”.

He said: “The critical issue is, with falling passenger numbers, both Cork and Shannon are loss-making and would not be sustainable without the support of the DAA. Given the current financial position of the DAA, this cross-subsidisation is not sustainable in the long term.”

He added: “I favour separation and breaking up the DAA’s monopoly but this can only be done on a sustainable basis. There is no point in appointing boards in Cork and Shannon if separation is not to proceed.

“It will take time, study and consultation with politicians and interest groups in the region before a decision can be made.”