WHILE the Sinn Féin election manifesto doesn’t give a clear commitment to ending the US military use of Shannon, its Clare candidate, Donna McGettigan, said that is the party’s position.
“We are opposed to it, of course,” she said this week.
Does the matter come up on the doorsteps?
“It does, but very rarely. It would come up more in social conversations rather than on the doors. On the doors its usually about the issues that people have themselves and how we can help. But you could be on a night out and it would come up with someone,” said Ms McGettigan.
The party’s manifesto calls for an end to the passenger cap at Dublin Airport, a measure that many feel could damage Shannon and other regional airports.
“As an island, air travel is important to our economy and tourism sector,” she said.
“The passenger cap at Dublin airport should be lifted.”
The manifesto also said it will help Shannon and other smaller airports.
The manifesto says that the party would put an “emphasis on developing routes to airports other than Dublin Airport, such as Cork, Shannon and Knock”.
It states it will also “be a key priority to deliver new routes for our island. This would also have the effect of providing a substantial economic boost in these areas and the surrounding areas”.
It also referred to the importance of developing wind energy, which has the potential to provide a substantial economic boost to West Clare.
“As an island nation, we need to invest wisely in our ports and the infrastructure around them to ensure sustainable growth,” the manifesto states.
“While our ports sector is currently self-sufficient and profitable, it is a sector that must be supported through government policy to ensure it can continue to grow.
“Investment in our ports presents a unique opportunity to develop offshore wind as part of our national energy strategy, which would be a primary focus of a Sinn Féin government.
“The value of being self-sufficient with regard to energy has been laid bare in the last number of years as international energy prices soared.
“The investment in our ports and a plan for offshore wind energy would be a guardrail against future inflation.”
Donna McGettigan received 1,141 first preference votes in the recent local election.
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked with a number of other publications in Limerick, Cork and Galway. His first book will be published in December 2024.