Cork and Shannon airports are key pieces of the Ireland South infrastructure. But while every significant decision at Cork Airport requires approval from the Dublin Airport Authority it will never fulfil its potential.
Cork Airport requires an aggressive, independent marketing strategy. The Governments decision to delay the setting up of an independent Cork airport until 2011 will severely damage its capacity to market itself and grow traffic into the future. I pledge to lobby for every available resource for cork Airport.
And I will do the same for Shannon. It needs a promotional plan to inform tourists throughout Europe of the ‘Pre-Clearance’ US customs facility. No other airport in Europe has this facility and it offers a huge competitive advantage to the region.
Cork – Swansea Ferry
Cork needs the restoration of the Swansea ferry, but the government has not taken this issue seriously. Plans to restore the service must be backed by the EU. Europe can play a key role in the restoration of the Cork-Swansea route. As an MEP, I will fight for the Cork-Swansea ferry.
