Dooley slams Fine Gael’s claims over the promotion of Shannon preclearance facilities as utter nonse

Fianna Fail TD for Clare and member of the Oireachtas Transport Committee Timmy Dooley has today labelled criticisms made by Fine Gael’s Pat Breen on a supposed lack of Government support for pre clearance facilities at Shannon as "utter nonsense".

"Deputy Breen knows full well the hard work put in by the Government to secure these groundbreaking pre clearance facilities at Shannon Airport, facilities which allow for the fast tracking of passengers through US immigration and customs. This unique facility is the first of its kind outside of the Americas and offers a full pre-clearance service to US bound passengers."

"A significant amount of work has been put into marketing the pre clearance facilities at Shannon Airport. I am in regular contact with the management and marketing staff at Shannon Airport and I am aware of the hard work they do in promoting the facilities. What Deputy Breen clearly doesn’t understand is that the preclearance facilities are marketed directly to the airlines and not to the general public."

"In addition, to the national tourism marketing fund of €44.25 million in 2010, Tourism Ireland will engage in co-operative marketing campaigns with air carriers to promote ease of access and to stimulate demand for travel to the Shannon region from key source markets."

"The preclearance facilities for commercial aircraft have been fully operational since 5 August 2009 and a number of commercial airlines have used the facility since then. Currently Continental airlines is operating direct services from Ireland using the facility and British Airways is availing of the facility in respect of a twice-daily service from London City to New York (JFK) that stops at Shannon for that purpose."

"Deputy Breen’s criticisms of the Government for not doing enough to support or promote the preclearance facilities rings hollow and also undermines the hard work of the marketing team at Shannon Airport. Today’s announcement that the first preclearance facility for private aircraft is now open is a hugely positive development and is one the Opposition should be supporting not criticising," Deputy Dooley concluded.