Shannon decision flies in face of policy

THE Cabinet’s response to the Aer Lingus crisis, while being very welcome, falls far short of what is required to diffuse the situation, and suggests that it has failed to grasp the contradiction in its position and the damage it is causing.

On the one hand, in line with its National Spatial Strategy (NSS), it is actively attracting mobile investment to the region, and indeed has been very successful in this over the years, turning the Limerick-Shannon-Galway Atlantic corridor into the largest IT hub outside the capital.

On the other hand, it is presiding over the dismantling of its air transport connectivity, the most important piece of IT industry infrastructure after telecommunications.