This article is from page 16 of the 2011-11-29 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
SHANNON Airport will not be privatised by way of a radical plan for the State to enter into a lease arrangement with local business interests for a period of between 15 and 35 years.
That’s the message that has been delivered by Clare’s four members of Dáil Éireann this week ahead of this Thursday’s deadline for submissions to the team of consultants hired by the Government to engage with stakeholders in Shannon ahead of a New Year announcement on the airport’s future. The Clare People can reveal that none of the TDs have come out and supported the controversial privatisation plan, which was part of the submission made by Shannon Airport Authority chairman, Brian O’Connell, to Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar in August.
The privatisation plan was rubbished by deputies Timmy Dooley (FF) and Michael Michael McNamara (Lab) as early as last September, and now Fine Gael TDs, Pat Breen and Joe Carey have followed suit and railed against the move that would see Shannon taken out of State hands for the first time in its 75-year history.
Instead, all four TDs are now back ing a move to make Shannon inde- pendent of Dublin Airport Authority control, while remaining firmly under government control as a key strategic State asset.
“The airport must be independent,” said Deputy Joe Carey in his submission to the Booz and Company team of consultants.
“Setting up an independent Shannon Airport Authority is the most desirable option for the future success of our airport.
“I am not saying independent of State ownership. State Ownership is critical to the well being of Shannon Airport.
“I advocate this enhancement of ownership to broaden the empower- ment and responsibility of the local community with a view to strengthening the local support for the Airport,” added Deputy Carey.
“I believe that it is important that the Airport remains under state ownership,” says Deputy Pat Breen. “To support the Airport’s efforts to return to growth under State ownership a review of our national aviation policy should be undertaken to strengthen that role.
“The governance and management structures of Shannon, will have to be changed to give greater local control for operations, financial and business developments. Shannon Airport can not be left paralysed as it has been by the previous administration,” adds Deputy Breen.
These comments have been echoed by Fianna Fáil transport spokesperson Timmy Dooley, whose has stated in his submission that he was “opposed to any privitisation of any of the State airports or part privitisation or concession agreements or long lease arrangements with whom so ever”.
In rubbishing the privatization plans, Labour’s Michael McNamara has said that “I hope that we don’t ever see the situation whereby there is a short-term effort to turn a buck at Shannon to the detriment of the longterm development of the region”.