This article is from page 51 of the 2012-06-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 51 JPG
THE new five-man Shannon Airport steering committee appointed by Ministers Leo Varadker and Richard Bruton has been challenged by the Government “to bring forward specific proposals for the separation of Shannon Airport from the Dublin Airport Authority”.
The committee to be chaired by the departmental mental secretaries of the Minister Varadkar and Minister Bruton’s government departments has been charged with responsibility for five specific areas.
1. To review and assess the DAA plan, when submitted, for the operational and financial readiness of the DAA Group in a post-separation scenario;
2. To bring forward proposals for the transfer of Shannon Development’s functions in relation to indigenous enterprises and foreign direct investment to Enterprise Ireland (EI) and the IDA respectively and to ensure that a plan for the delivery of those functions in the region is developed by each agency.
3. To bring forward proposals for the transfer of Shannon Development’s tourism functions, including the Regional Tourism Offices, but excluding Shannon Heritage, to Fáilte Ireland.
4. To explore options and prepare proposals for the formation of the new entity of Shannon Airport and Shannon Development.
5. To assess the feasibility of creating an international aviation centre of excellence centred on Shannon Airport.
A joint-statement issued by Minis- ters Varadkar and Bruton said that structures have to be put in place new Shannon “to collaborate with IDA and Enterprise Ireland, using its property portfolio in conjunction with the airport business as a catalyst for the development of strategic sectoral opportunities for the region”.
The Steering Group will oversee the work of two Task Forces: an Aviation Business Development Task Force and a Change Management Task Force, both of which will report to the Steering Group.
The Aviation Business Development Task Force will be chaired by Rose Hynes who is a former member of the senior management team of Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA) and the boards of Aer Lingus Teo and Shannon Airport Authority, and who is the current chair of Bord Gáis Éireann.
This Task Force will seek out and evaluate aviation-linked business opportunities that could be associated with the new entity and bring forward proposals addressing all relevant issues in this regard.
The Change Management Task Force will be chaired by John Fitzgerald, former Dublin City Manager and current chair of the National Transport Authority, An Post and the Limerick Regeneration Project.
This Task Force will develop proposals for transitional arrangements and for the appropriate corporate, managerial and operational structures of the new entity, including matters related to IT, HR, Finance and property.
In addition, it will draw up proposals for the transfer of Shannon Development functions to the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and Failte Ireland.