Varadkar’s crucial visit

EDITORIAL

IS it any wonder that fears about the future of Shannon Airport have intensified now that the board has been pruned back to just two members?
Gone are former chairman Brian O’Connell, along with top-level figures in Shannon Development, an organisation that sees the airport as central to its tourism and industrial promotion efforts.
The ultra trim board of Niall MacCarthy, the airport’s acting director and Ray Gray, Dublin Airport Authority’s chief financial officer, is an interim measure ahead of Transport Minister Leo Varadkar’s decision on Shannon’s future management. His decision will be influenced by the Booz consulting group’s report, published in December, which recommends Shannon Airport be separated from the Dublin Airport Authority and placed into a separate corporate structure with a remit to expand its activities beyond passenger travel. The Booz report also said debts associated with Cork Airport means it should remain with the DAA for the immediate future, although with greater autonomy.
Perhaps Minister Varadkar will bring clarity to the situation when he addresses members of the Mid-West business community this Friday morning at a breakfast meeting organised by Limerick Chamber with UPC Business.
Securing the future of Shannon Airport will be the theme of the minister’s address and people in this region want to know exactly how this will be achieved.
People’s faith in Shannon Airport as a viable entity must be restored. Any lingering doubts will only compound the concerns that have taken root in recent times.
Year after year, Shannon has experienced highs and lows; from the euphoria of new services and routes to the disappointment of the loss of important routes and the scaling back of well established services. Shannon’s passenger numbers tumbled again in 2011, for the fifth successive year. Last year, the figure fell by 7% to 1.6 million, a far cry from the peak of 3.6 million passengers in 2006.
With the change in government almost a year ago, it was believed that any question marks over Shannon’s future would at last be put to bed. Unfortunately, not so, so far.
Minister Varadkar will need to come to Limerick with a positive message as to how Government support will reverse Shannon’s downward passenger trend. If he doesn’t, he can expect harsh words from the business leaders in attendance.
In advance of Minister Varadkar’s visit, Limerick Chamber president, Kieran MacSweeney, has reiterated the importance of international connectivity for the entire western seaboard through Shannon.
“The airport is a key infrastructural asset serving the tourism, enterprise and industrial business needs of the entire west coast of Ireland and its location midway along the Atlantic Corridor supports government policy of balanced regional development,” he said.
Mayor of Clare Pat Hayes wants a prompt decision on Shannon’s future, while Michael Vaughan, chairman of the Shannon branch of the Irish Hotel’s Federation, believes a strong guiding hand is needed now more than ever for the airport.
Minister Varadkar will need to think very carefully before he begins his speech on Friday morning. His thoughts, views and decisions could determine his long-term relationship with the Mid-West. He will have to demonstrate that he is unwaveringly pro-Shannon Airport.
His Clare and Mid-West Oireachtas colleagues on the Government benches will, needless to say, prod Minister Varadkar in the right direction. It’s a huge credibility issue.

Renewable energy employment

COUNTY Clare has moved one step closer to fully exploiting the forces of nature in order to create large-scale employment opportunities.
The newly formed Clare Low Carbon Working Group has suggested that Clare’s unemployment rate of 10,000 could be halved over the next five years by concentrating on renewable energy generation initiatives. It will liase with local and national industry experts to help deliver on its objectives.
The working group is to identify high-energy industrial users, such as pharmaceutical and information technology storage that could be encouraged to set up in the county and use renewable energy electricity.  The committee will promote production of electricity from many renewable sources but initially the focus will be on wind energy as it is technology ready for market with buyers such as the UK.
The British government has already acknowledged Ireland has something important to offer by way of a supply of clean, renewable energy. The fact that the link connecting the grids of Ireland and Britain is currently under construction means there would be little delay in sending Clare-generated electricity across the Irish Sea.
The preparation of a promotional plan for the Shannon Estuary and the development of renewable energy projects in the county form an important element of the County Development Plan and the Clare County Council Economic Development Strategy. Another point outlined in the plan is the development and promotion of a green energy/carbon neutral zone in the county to attract international business.
The working group, which will have its first formal meeting inside the next couple of weeks, has set out to ensure Clare becomes a national leader in renewable energy generation and a low carbon county by achieving a minimum target of 550 megawatts onshore wind generation by 2017.
Ennis Councillor Johnny Flynn, who has a background in renewable energy and engineering, is one of the main figures in the new group.
“Ireland supplies 25% of the UK’s beef needs why not 10% of their electricity needs by 2015? Taking an innovative view on things, we need to find new industries and ways to offer products with secure long-term, high-demand potential. The product ‘electrons’ in the form of electricity exports from low carbon generators, including wind energy, could indeed be such an industry,” he said.
There must be agreement and harmony in regard to the location of new windfarms to support industry. As it is, there is divided opinion in some Clare communities over proposals for windfarms in their areas. Consultation and transparency are vital in every aspect of renewable energy projects, whether for the windfarms or linked industries.