THE CLOSURE of Shannon Airport during the Garda pay strike next month could seriously undermine the entire economy of the Mid West region.
With both the Garda Representative Association (GRA) and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) joining in a planned withdrawal of labour during every Friday in November, the action will result in the closure of the Shannon immigration unit and, as a consequence, the entire airport.
Limerick Fianna Fail TD Niall Collins has called on the Departments of Justice and Public Expenditure to “step up” and intervene in the pay dispute.
He has accused the Government of sleepwalking its way into the crisis and claimed that the GRA and AGSI were dragged in to a ‘no win’ situation by the Ministers and their Departments over the last four years”.
He urged the Government to immediately address the issue within the parameters of the Lansdowne Road agreement, “as we can’t have a situation where our airports are facing closure amid labour disputes”.
He said that Shannon, Dublin and Cork airports could be forced to shut down over security issues as officers from the Garda National Immigration Bureau will not carry out immigration checks.
“Contingency plans for security cover at the country’s airports and national policing, must be put in place by the Garda Commissioner. Gardaí have not had their issues addressed and they have one trump card left to play and that is the withdrawal of their labour.
“Hopefully, Government and the two relevant departments will see sense before any of the planned withdrawals in November.
“Aside from the policing issues, connectivity for this country is vital amid the uncertainty of Brexit and connectivity in our region has proven to be so important for the development of jobs and enterprise,” Deputy Collins concluded.
