This article is from page 1 of the 2011-09-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 1 JPG
LOCAL business interests are on the cusp of making a pitch to take over the running of Shannon Airport in a lease agreement that would see the former hub of the aviation world given its freedom to chart its own future away from Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) control. The Clare People can reveal that a coalition of business interests in the mid-west region could be lined up to lease Care’s international airport from the DAA if Transport Minister Leo Varadkar backs a radical move by the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) to offload the airport to a private company for between 15 to 35 years.
However, the plan has been blasted by Fianna Fáil transport spokesperson Timmy Dooley “as privatisation by another name. This is selling Shannon. It’s selling away a state asset for two generations”.
The SAA board, which is chaired by local businessman Brian O’Connell, submitted its plans on foot of a request for submissions by Minister Varadkar on the break-up of the three state-owned airports – Dublin, Shannon and Cork.
Ryanair have backed the plan, with spokesperson Stephen McNamara telling The Clare People “it should be taken out of the hands of the DAA and there is a case that it should be a local airport, owned and operated by local people so that it can grow”.
“We need an independent Shannon, free of Dublin where we can deter- mine our own destiny,” said Deputy Joe Carey. “The current model has failed Shannon. Something radical is needed,” he added.
The plan was drafted for the SAA by Avia Solutions consultants, but no private company has been listed as being interested in taking control of the airport, something which has prompted local Labour TD Michael McNamara to “call on the chairman of Shannon Airport to come clean and tell us which private company, or companies, or investors have expressed an interest”.
Shannon Airport have declined to comment on the matter.