Danny Healy-Rae: Open the Dublin Cap - Don't Forget Kerry
Danny Healy-Rae speaks on the Dublin Airport cap, urges easing restrictions while warning regional airports like Kerry and Shannon must not be neglected. He calls for extra train services for Kerry supporters travelling to Saturday's Tyrone match and criticises access to TV coverage for elderly fans.
Danny Healy-Rae addresses the debate on the Dublin Airport cap and argues Ireland needs relief to keep flights and operators like Ryanair viable. He frames the change as necessary to lower travel costs and maintain services that many communities rely on.
He stresses that Shannon and regional airports cannot be forgotten, singling out Kerry Airport as vital for local travel and work. He appeals for more flights to and from Kerry and for continued support for Shannon, noting personal family links to the midwest airport.
He raises an immediate practical concern: sufficient train services for Kerry people travelling to the Tyrone match on Saturday at quarter past six. He asks the Minister to ensure people can get to the game and return home safely, warning late departures from Crog Park may leave supporters stranded.
He expresses concern that elderly Kerry people may be unable to watch the game on TV, and remarks on the funding RTÉ has received. He juxtaposes RTÉ's public support with the practical needs of rural communities and sports supporters.
Danny Healy-Rae frames the debate as balancing national aviation policy with regional equity - opening Dublin while protecting the connectivity and access of regional airports, transport and media services that matter to rural constituencies.
Airport policy and regional impact
Danny Healy-Rae addresses the debate on the Dublin Airport cap and argues Ireland needs relief to keep flights and operators like Ryanair viable. He frames the change as necessary to lower travel costs and maintain services that many communities rely on.
Support for Shannon and Kerry airports
He stresses that Shannon and regional airports cannot be forgotten, singling out Kerry Airport as vital for local travel and work. He appeals for more flights to and from Kerry and for continued support for Shannon, noting personal family links to the midwest airport.
Transport for supporters and weekend logistics
He raises an immediate practical concern: sufficient train services for Kerry people travelling to the Tyrone match on Saturday at quarter past six. He asks the Minister to ensure people can get to the game and return home safely, warning late departures from Crog Park may leave supporters stranded.
Broadcast access and public money
He expresses concern that elderly Kerry people may be unable to watch the game on TV, and remarks on the funding RTÉ has received. He juxtaposes RTÉ's public support with the practical needs of rural communities and sports supporters.
Implications
Danny Healy-Rae frames the debate as balancing national aviation policy with regional equity - opening Dublin while protecting the connectivity and access of regional airports, transport and media services that matter to rural constituencies.
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Transcript
I'm glad to get the opportunity to talk on this motion here this evening and look there's been a lot of talk about Dublin Airport and the cap and I know that residents are concerned about it but look Ireland has to move on and we do need to open it up a bit anyway and to give some relief there and to let operators like Michael O'Leary who has been making a lot of sense about it to give them a chance to keep their flights going and to keep their business going because until Ryanair came along it was very expensive to travel in and out of this country. I suppose at the same time I'm asking that Shannon and the regional airports not be forgotten and starting with Kerry Airport it's very important to us and the more flights that we could get into and out of Kerry would be a great help to people in Kerry who need to travel for their work and who need to travel for many different things and I feel that both Kerry and Shannon, which is a regional airport as well and with a long great tradition, more needs to be done to help Shannon, to help the midwest and indeed many of my uncles and aunts travelled through Shannon coming and going to America, four of them made their lives over there, my father's brothers and sisters and through Shannon they had to go when they were coming and going to America. And likewise Kirk, we're very close to Kirk Airport now but Kerry is the one that we're supporting and we're asking the best for it all the time Minister. There is an issue on this weekend where Kerry people may be disenfranchised. If you don't do something about the trains Minister to ensure, and I hope you're listening to me, to ensure that Kerry people can travel to this match, we're playing Tyrone on Saturday evening at a quarter past six. It's not a great time for Kerry people who will be trying to get home, maybe leaving Crog Park, it could be as late as nine o'clock. So I'm asking that enough trains be put on for that, and we intend to make sure that the people of Kerry can get up here and that the people of Kerry can get back home again. And in my argument I have to say to you that it's unfortunate that Kerry people and elderly people can't watch this massive game on TV. RTÉ who have got millions of Euros, they actually got as much, millions, 725 millions they got for to keep them floating, the very same amount that the people of Ireland got for to help them with the cost of diesel. Don't forget this Minister, it's very important that the people of Kerry can see the game come up and get home again. For more UN videos visit www.un.org