HOPES have been raised that Shannon may still be able to play some role as an international aid hub despite a consultants report rejecting the idea as being impractical. Former Minister of State for Trade and Development, Jan O’Sullivan, told the Limerick Post that she intends to push for further research “to see if the airport could have a role in some niche market like the storing of pharmaceuticals. This would be particularly possible if we got the Lynx cargo facility which has been talked about”.
Minister O’Sullivan said that it was “disappointing” that the consultant’s report dismissed the proposal to develop Shannon as an alternative base for storing emergency aid as not being justifiable or economically viable.
“I think we should not give up on Shannon having a role to play in that whole humanitarian area”, the Limerick Labour Party TD said.
In its report, Everywhere Consulting concluded it did not presently see a role for Shannon Airport that added clear value to the international humanitarian relief effort. It ruled out the feasibility of a hub on the grounds of geography, costs and the existing structures already in place.
The report found “due to the risk/benefit issues addressed and the fact that are no major gaps in existing structures, the stake-holders consulted did not see Shannon Airport as a strong site to fill a humanitarian role nor did they believe their organisations would use, manage or fund such a role”.
The report further found “with low turnover and hence low service fees, a prepositioning role at Shannon Airport is unlikely to be self-sustaining and would therefore require regular donor funding”.
“Shannon Airport’s distance from the most common disaster response sites remain an inhibiting factor, as it does its distance from the existing suppliers of humanitarian actors that deal with medical items”, the report concluded.
