SINN Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan has called for a more balanced approach to Irish aviation.
Speaking in the Dáil, the Limerick politician reminded the government that its Programme for Government states that it will conduct a review of National Aviation Policy to maximise use of our airports.
“When can we expect this review to take place and conclude?” Deputy Quinlivan asked.
“Some 86 per cent of people who fly from this State do so from Dublin Airport and for transport flights it might be even higher than that. Several weeks ago, the management of Shannon Airport called for the re-examination of aviation policy and requested the passenger cap in the regional airport programme be increased,” he said.
Deputy Quinlivan also mentioned that, last year, over two million passengers used Shannon Airport, placing it outside the programme.
“As the Minister knows, Shannon has the capacity to easily take up to five million passengers without much work there. We really need a more balanced approach to Irish aviation and the conclusion of this review is the first step. The capacity is there,” he said.
“We need to allow airports outside Dublin to flourish and part of that includes rebalancing flights away from Dublin to Shannon. When can we expect this review to be concluded?”
In response, Minister Helen McEntee pointed out that she was one of the leads in the negotiations for the Programme for Government, and knows the conversation on this was “very clear”.
“We need to support Dublin Airport but we also need to support our regional airports. We need to ensure people living outside our capital city in our rural towns and villages have access to perhaps not the same level, but to an increased level, of air connectivity. That is why those commitments were made in the Programme for Government,” she told the Limerick TD.
“I do not have a timeline for the review, but I will certainly ask the Minister for Transport to come back and engage with the Deputy directly on it.”
