LIMERICK Green Party TD Brian Leddin has voiced his concern at the lack of a concerted response in the Mid West on the removal of the passenger cap through Dublin Airport.
Deputy Leddin believes the passenger cap issue is one that is bigger than the airports themselves and is about how the respective regions grow and how Ireland fulfils objectives of the National Planning Framework (Project Ireland 2040).
The candidate for the first ever directly elected Mayor of Limerick seat emphasised the need for a co-ordinated and urgent response to the proposal by regional representatives, business, and industry groups.
“We need to guard against the widening of the gap between the capital and the regions. The continued lopsided development of the country is in nobody’s long term interests,” the Green Party TD said.
“It goes against the National Planning Framework (Project Ireland 2040) and its strategic objective to grow the regional cities at twice the rate of the capital. Increasing the passenger cap at Dublin Airport effectively fuels the growth of our capital city and it does so at the expense of the regions,” Deputy Leddin said.
The Limerick politician emphasised the need for industry leaders and national representatives to step up.
“In recent weeks, I have sat down with business representative organisations and those in the aviation, transport, freight, and logistics sectors, outlining the required focus needed,” he said.
Deputy Leddin said that he had raised “the potential of Shannon Airport” in Brussels and encouraged a need for “everyone to work together on this”.
“We need to make the case that investing in critical infrastructure in the Limerick-Shannon-Clare region serves the entire country.”
