Share Dublin airport spoils with Cork

GOVERNMENT policy on Cork airport makes a mockery of its supposed commitment to decentralisation and regional development.

The Transport Minister says Cork needs to survive on its own, without aid from Dublin airport.

If that is the case, then Dublin airport should not be made a gift of the eight Great Southern Hotels (or the 25% share in City Hotel in Derry), or the airport joint ventures in Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Birmingham, or the duty-free shops in Moscow, St Petersburg, Ukraine, Canada and JFK in New York.

The Aer Rianta 2004 annual report lists all these valuable assets, which are now the property of Dublin Airport Authority.

If Cork airport will not be handed over debt-free, then Cork should be allowed its share of all these cash cows.

If the Government is serious about reducing congestion in Dublin by developing the regions, then it has a real opportunity to demonstrate this in its policy on Cork airport.

You should not be penalised for doing business in the regions, as now happens. For example, if you fly Aer Arann from Cork to Dublin return, you will pay €19.99 in taxes and charges to Cork airport and just €14.43 to Dublin airport. So you are paying an extra tax of €5.56 for flying through Cork. This encourages people to bypass Cork.

If the Government maintains its current policy on Cork airport, then its commitment to decentralisation is nothing more than politically inspired hypocrisy. Cork voters should remember this at the next election. Come on, minister, share some of the golden egg handed to Dublin.

Cllr Noel Collins

St Jude’s

Midleton

Co Cork