Shannon decision may hit jobs, Martin admits

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin has admitted job creation in the Shannon region could be negatively affected by the Aer Lingus decision to end the Shannon-Heathrow link.

In Shannon yesterday, Mr Martin met with members of Atlantic Connectivity Alliance (ACA) and the Shannon Action Group to discuss the Aer Lingus decision.

After meeting with the groups, Mr Martin said he was conscious "for certain types of activities, those with global functions, that the capacity to attract additional functions could be hampered by this decision, there is no fudging on that. It is a decision that does have an impact."

He added: "I know that anyone with strategic thinking knows that connectivity is very, very important. We all know that Shannon has been a significant catalyst for regional growth for 30 or 40 years and I'm not surprised at the amount of anger at all."

The vice-chairman of the ACA and general manager of diamond manufacturer Element Six, Ken Sullivan, said it was now a case of needing political will from the Government to have the Aer Lingus decision reversed.

"We believe that we need to see political will exercised here to pursue Aer Lingus," he said.

"With the 25 per cent shareholding, the Government has direct influence on Aer Lingus and the opportunity to influence the Aer Lingus decision.

"Minister Martin has told us the Government are behind us, that they are actively working to find a solution, but so far we are not seeing it."

He added: "The reality is that Government has a 25.4 per cent shareholding in Aer Lingus and this leverage can be used to overturn management's baffling decision to abandon a route carrying 350,000 passengers per annum for an airport where it has no track record whatsoever."

ACA member and Galway Chamber of Commerce representative Dr Chris Coughlan criticised the interdepartmental group. It amounted to a Yes Minister PR exercise, he added.

"It has been put together to pay lip-service to the Government and support its intransigent stance on this issue, a stance that is clearly in conflict with the guarantees given last year, before privatisation, that the Government would intervene to protect key strategic interests such as the Shannon-Heathrow service."