Group set up to protect Shannon interests

Business and tourism interests have been warned of the negative consequences for Shannon airport and the west of Ireland if the use of Shannon is withdrawn from the US military.

Addressing a public meeting to discuss the future of Shannon, Fianna Fáil TD Mr Tony Killeen said: "These are difficult times for people in the US. They can be a very patriotic people and will certainly not be grateful to those who they feel are letting them down."

Mr Killeen told the meeting that unless the use of Shannon by the US military "is handled in the way that it needs to be handled, Shannon airport runs a huge risk in terms of its attractiveness to Americans into the future". He said yesterday it would be hard to make an argument for withdrawing the use of Shannon to the US military when opponents of the proposed US action against Iraq, France and Germany, continue to allow the US to use their airports and airspace.

His Fine Gael counterpart Mr Pat Breen TD - who organised the Shannon meeting - said he would remain in favour of US troops going through Shannon in the absence of a second UN resolution and the US taking unilateral action to go to war with Iraq.

At the meeting, which was attended by more than 200 people, mainly airport workers, concern was expressed about the publicity over recent anti-war protests at the airport.

Mr Breen told the meeting that images of gardaí in riot gear is not the image local people want of Shannon and Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) said: "The protests have done terrible damage to the airport. The Government has designated Shannon as the airport to transit US troops so it should put in place a financial package to allow Shannon recover from the negative publicity."

Mr Michael Ryan, managing director of FBO Shannon, said yesterday: "I feel very strongly that the US military should be allowed to continue to use Shannon. They have been using the airport for the past 40 years and it has never been an issue before and it should not be an issue now."

At the meeting, it was unanimously agreed by those present that an action group be set up to protect the interests of the airport.