Announcement imminent on airport task force

AN announcement on the composition of a task force to advise Government on the future of Shannon Airport is expected following a cabinet meeting next week.

It is widely believed the task force will include Alan Ahearne, Declan Keane, Eamonn Brennan, Ed Hansom, Pat Dalton and New Quay native Rose Hynes. In Limerick on Monday Finance Minister Michael Noonan admitted that these were “the correct names”. Representatives from Government departments may also be added to the group.

It is anticipated that this task force will be a sub-group of the overall steering group, which will be headed by Government officials. While it’s not expected that any Clare County Council representative will be named on this task force, it may still be represented on the steering group.

It is expected this task force will look at the development of aviation related industries at Shannon. In the past, Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has spoken about using the model of Dublin’s IFSC, where tax breaks were offered to help attract relevant companies, to develop an aeronautical industries hub at the Clare airport.

Clare TD Pat Breen said that those named “have a wealth of experience”, while he was particularly positive about the involvement of Rose Hynes. “Having served on the Shannon Airport Authority she brings a wealth of experience and the fact that she’s a Clare woman is very important as well,” he added.

Deputy Joe Carey said that those named have a lot to recommend them. “They are very well known, well regarded and have a lot of expertise. There is no doubt that they are very competent people but I’m more interested in seeing the terms of reference for the steering committee.”

Rose Hynes is currently the chairperson of Bord Gais Eireann while she is a director of a number of other companies. A native of New Quay, she severed on the Shannon Airport Authority for five years, while she was a senior executive with GPA Group PLC and is a former board member of Aer Lingus Group PLC.

Alan Ahearne is an NUI Galway based economist, who is perhaps best known for serving as an adviser to the late Brian Lenihan from March 2009-March 2011. He worked as a Senior Economist at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington for seven years, while he has taught at a number of top universities. The Irish Times dubbed him ‘The economist who told you so’ in 2008, in recognition of some of his prescient commentary.

Chief Executive of the Irish Aviation Authority, Eamonn Brennan is a chartered accountant and is also a former Commercial Director of the IAA. He was Chairman of the Eurocontrol Chief Executive’s Standing Conference 2004-2006 and Chairman of the Air Navigation Services Board of Eurocontrol 2006-2007.
He was a member of the Executive Board of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation from 2005 to 2011 and served as Global Deputy Chairman and chairman for various periods.

Pat Dalton is Chief Financial Officer of One51, and joined the Group earlier this year. He worked for GPA Group plc from 1992 and was ultimately appointed CFO of debis AirFinance BV, which acquired GPA Group plc in 2000. He was then CFO of Bord Gáis from 2002, before joining Menolly Property as CFO in 2006.

A graduate of University College Dublin he is a non-executive director of the Irish Aviation Authority, a member of their Audit Committee and chairs the Authority’s Investment and Planning Committee. Ed Hansom held a senior position with GPA, while he is now involved with RBS Aviation Capital. Declan Keane is a KPMG accountant, who chaired the Department of Finance’s expert group on mortgage arrears.