DAA chief slams claims of holding back Shannon Airport

THERE is no attempt being made by the Dublin Airport Authority to undermine or hold back the development of Shannon, Declan Collier claimed, as he addressed the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport last week.
The DAA CEO said that it was completely untrue to say that the body had worked against the Clare airport. “First of all, I want to completely reject any notion that the DAA is holding back either Shannon or Cork. In the period from 1997 to 2010, the DAA has invested €370m in Cork and €230m in Shannon. In the last five years over €100m of that investment has been in Shannon,” he stated.
He said Shannon management have a sizable amount of money to spend, largely as they see fit.
“It’s certainly not true to say that for the purchase of a biro they have to go back to the DAA to get approval. There’s a budget of around €95m agreed for this year in Shannon, the management are entirely responsible for the expenditure of that budget and as long as they do that within the terms of that budget that is their responsibility and they have full autonomy to do so. We have processes in the company depending on the level of expenditure, which require a view at higher levels up to DAA board level. But it is not true to say that there is no autonomy for either Cork or Shannon with regard to their affairs. There’s very significant autonomy,” Mr Collier said.
While Shannon and Cork have not been separated from the DAA, he said that measures have been taken to look after their interests. “Arising from the decision to defer that separation, additional support structures were put in place, the chairpersons of the Cork and Shannon Authorities became members of the DAA board. They have an active participation in all of the matters concerning the DAA.”
He acknowledged that Shannon and Cork may not be happy with the lack of separation but denied that DAA didn’t promote their interests.
“There is not this dead-hand approach that is sometimes portrayed within the media and within the regions. But I do understand the frustrations that exist because of the lack of separation.”
Mr Collier said that discussions on the provision of a Lynx cargo facility are continuing. “We are well advanced in discussions with Lynx and it’s hoped that we will get to an agreement on that but there are significant commercial discussions to take place until we get this right, but we are very supportive of it,” Mr Collier said.
He added that the DAA had promoted the US Customs and Border Protection Pre-clearance (CBP) facility at Shannon and that attempts were being made to increase the usage of it.
“It is working very effectively and one of the big success stories has been the capture of British Airways’ new business service from London to JFK. BA are talking to ourselves at the moment about expanding that service and adding new routes. We are looking to market CBP more widely,” Mr Collier concluded.