This article is from page 22 of the 2008-11-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 22 JPG
MAYOR of Clare, Madeleine Tay- lor-Quinn (FG) was not invited to last Friday’s announcement of US pre-clearance facilities at Shannon Airport, it was revealed yesterday.
In what was described as a “severe slight”, the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey met with a number of Fianna Fail councillors during his visit to the airport but no opposi- tion councillors, including the Mayor Taylor-Quinn, were invited.
Indeed Cllr Taylor-Quinn only heard of the Shannon event during an informal conversation with the minister at the sod turning ceremony for the N18 Gort Crusheen Bypass on Duce hmrnleurnpace
“IT would see this as a severe slight to both the Mayor of Clare and the Mayor of Shannon town,” said Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind), who led the campaign to save the Shannon Hea- throw connection.
“T welcome Councillor McMahon’s meeting with the minister but I have never heard of such a select group of people getting together for a meet- ing. I certainly was not invited to the announcement and I know that the mayor were not invited to the meet- bee lieoe
“If this slight was of the ministers doing or if it was brought about by the management of Shannon Airport then shame on them – we have all supported them whole heatedly dur- ing what as been a very difficult time for the airport.
Commenting on that motion, Cllr Hanrahan (FF) said that no special treatment was shown to Fianna Fail councillors.
‘Invitations were not issued to any- body. Local councillors were invited to meet the minister but no indica- tions were given that there was a ma- jor announcement on the horizon,” he said.
Shannon mayor Cllr Gerry Flynn
(FG) told the council that he was given 45 minutes notice about the announcement and was unable to at- tend because he was “doing real work for his constituents in the offices of Clare County Council in Ennis”.
“T’m delighted that Minister Demp- sey showed that he still knows where Shannon Airport is at all and that the airport was still up and running by the time that he got there,” he said.
“As mayor of Shannon I did get an invitation to the announcement on Friday, I got about 45 minutes notice in fact.”
Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) call for a pro- tocol to be put in place to govern the visits of Government ministers.