Shannon aviation and heritage
Deputy McNamara raised Shannon Group, aviation and tourism support for the mid-west, including the future of Shannon Heritage sites. The Taoiseach said he would discuss the matter further and that the Minister had plans to support aviation and the heritage sites.
It is the Taoiseach's last Leaders' Questions of the year. When he was elected Taoiseach six months ago in this venue, I raised the issue of the Shannon Group, the airport and the entirety of the group, and its centrality to the economic well-being of the mid-west. Since then, we found out that the entire western seaboard was disproportionately affected by the State's response to Covid-19. What is the plan to support aviation and tourism across the mid-west and the entire west next year? What is the plan for Shannon Heritage? The two sites that have opened are closing on 3 January. It is planned to open the sites again in April, but Shannon Heritage remains in the Shannon Group with a commercial mandate and the sites ill fit a commercial mandate because while they generate money, they generate money more broadly in the economy than they do within the group itself.
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which is a very serious one. Other Deputies such as Deputy Cathal Crowe have raised it with me as well. I would like to discuss the matter further with the Deputy and other Deputies as well. I know the Minister has plans to support aviation in particular and the heritage sites and the evolution of the Shannon Group.