I warmly welcome the appointment of Mr. Pádraig Ó Céidigh as chairperson of the Shannon Group He is a man of real substance and has a proven track record in business. He is also a proud west of Ireland man who knows the importance of balanced regional development. In addition, he has a deep understanding of aviation and how it works. I am looking forward to working with Mr. Ó Céidigh in the time ahead. Aviation is of critical importance for an island nation so it is important that the Government continues to support the sector and that, as we emerge from the pandemic, an enhanced support package is made available to our airports and airlines. What work is under way to provide funding to underpin and re-establish key strategic routes? In the case of Shannon Airport, those key strategic routes are to Heathrow, Boston and New York.

I note the Deputy's comments in respect of Mr. Pádraig Ó Céidigh and we wish him well in that role. He came to it through the Public Appointments Service process and has a deep commitment to the region and to aviation.

The Government has provided substantial supports to airports and airlines, particularly through the EWSS programme and through capital investments in airports. We are looking at further measures to see what we can do to underpin the return of growth to the aviation sector because connectivity is key to the regions and the mid-west in particular. We are conscious of the role aviation can play in the economic recovery of the country and the mid-west in particular.