“We need to turn Shannon around from being a liability to being an asset to the region.”
TOURISM Minister, Leo Varadkar will not rule out privatising Shannon Airport but is “considering other options” including running the airport as “a concession”. The minister was speaking in Bunratty to announce funding for a number of new tourism schemes, including an allocation of more than €3 million to develop a riverside trail through the city. Asked if he is considering putting the airport in private hands – a possibility which is causing major concerns in the region – the Minister said he would not rule it out.
“We are looking at a number of possibilities, one is privatisation, another is having it run by a concession while the airport remains in state ownership”.
He told the Limerick Post that he will look at all the options once the consultants who have been brought in to examine what can be done, report back to him.
Asked if it would be possible to write off the debt which is crippling the airport, the Minister said there is no money in the coffers to do that.
And he will make a decision on whether Shannon, which has made losses of around €8 million this year, will separate from the DAA before the end of the year.
“We need to be sure that Shannon is sustainable in its own right and turn it around from being a liability to being an asset to the region,” he said.
The Minister announced a package of tourism initiatives which amount to €6.6 million in capital funding.
Limerick city is getting the largest slice of the funding cake, with €3.15 million for the development of a trail between Shannon Bridge and Sarsfield Bridge along Howley’s Quay, which will form the next stage of the city’s riverside improvement strategy.
The new scheme will see boardwalks installed along the stretch of river as well as the development of a performance area, other street furniture and infrastructure.
The aim is to enhance the natural facility of the river and to provide a connection between all three river crossings for cyclists and pedestrians.
“This government wants to invest more in activity- based tourism. It is where the tourism market is going and the government really believes that tourism is the way out of this recession”.
Funding has also been given to develop a heritage trail in the Burren and a cycle hub in Doolin.
