We have 13 speakers and 17 minutes left. I will give each Deputy up to a minute.

The Minister did a good job with Leaders' Questions. I was watching from my office. I have a very quick question. Shannon Airport has submitted an application for a public service obligation route to the Department of Transport. This will soon come across the Minister, Deputy McGrath's desk. It seeks a service between Shannon Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Brexit has been a disaster for everyone on this island but we in the Shannon region are feeling it particularly strongly. We in the west of Ireland are geographically peripheral and distant from continental Europe. We have key companies like Boston Scientific and EI Electronics and many other very large companies that need to get their products out of the mid-west and into continental Europe. We need this service. The proposal has been warmly received by many. At 3 p.m., I am going to the Dutch Embassy to again push this matter. I would love to hear some words of positivity from the Minister.

We fully appreciate the importance of connectivity for the mid-west region. I commend the management of Shannon Airport on its recovery, which is now well advanced, following the very dark days of Covid-19. Government has provided much support and will continue to provide support to Shannon Airport through the regional airports programme. In light of the pressure Dublin Airport has been under, it makes sense to support our regional airports, including Shannon Airport and Cork Airport. I will follow up on the specific issue the Deputy has raised. I appreciate the importance of Schiphol as a key hub and what such a route would open up for Shannon. That is something we will raise with the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, and the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan.